Williamsburg hosted the 20th annual Brooklyn Three Kings Parade on Sunday, Jan. 8.
For the men portraying the Three Kings, the day started with 11 a.m. Mass at All Saints Church celebrated in Spanish by the pastor, Father William Chacon.
The parade down Graham Avenue stepped off at 3 p.m., showcasing different floats, music and traditional costumes.
This year’s parade honored the memory of Ken Thompson, Brooklyn’s first African-American district attorney.
The Parade Godfather was Eric Gonzalez, acting Brooklyn District Attorney, and Parade Godmother was community leader Evelyn Cruz.
The Grand Marshal was Mike Nieves, president and CEO of Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc.
The NYPD and FDNY were also participants as the NYPD Band played and the FDNY Hispanic Society drove a fire truck down the parade route.
Despite seven inches of snow that had fallen the previous day, the weather created an element but it did not scare anyone off as the floats were filled with people participating and the sidewalks lined with people watching.
Alex Rodriguez, a member of the parade’s organizing committee, said, “We are very optimistic people will still be out. This is the 20th year and we are Latino and have that warm blood. The culture, traditions, and music will warm up the blood of all us and allows us to celebrate this great day.”
He was exactly right: people were slowed but not stopped by the weather. All bundled up, people were out to support and participate in the event. Children were dressed in costumes and danced on the floats, while adults sang and played music. For everyone involved, both their religious faith and Hispanic traditions were proudly on display for all to see.
