Three Kings Day Parade & Community Celebration

The Three Kings Day Parade is a colourful and festive Christmas affair, Latin American-style, that fills the streets of Spanish Harlem every year. A community celebration offering family entertainment is held a few days later at el Museo del Barrio.

In Latin America, as in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Spain, 6 January is a festive day of the Nativity season. It commemorates the day the three kings visited baby Jesus. Arriving on camels, elephants and horses, Melchior, Caspar and Baltazar brought gifts for Jesus and declared him the Messiah. In celebration today, children leave hay by their bedsides the night before as a treat for the animals and anxiously await the next morning's presents.

The Three Kings Day Parade in the largely Hispanic neighbourhood of East Harlem New York is organised by Latin museum of art El Museo del Barrio. It starts at 10am from the corner of 106th Street and 5th Ave and terminates at 106th St and 5th St. The parts of the three kings are usually played by local community celebrities and figureheads, who lead the parade for a good two hours around ten or 12 city blocks. The walk is followed by a programme of storytelling, music and toy distribution.

The following Saturday, the fun starts with a special edition of the game show Jugemos Todos, hosted by Lilia Veiga and featuring celebrity appearances, prizes and a concert.