A section of Jericho Turnpike in Mineola will transform into Portugal Boulevard on May 31 at 11 a.m., marking the second annual Portugal Day Parade in the village, which saw thousands pack the sidewalks in 2014. The day will honor The Day of Portugal, Camoes and the Communities, which is a week later on June 10. The holiday celebrates the history and heritage of Portuguese people throughout the world.

“It’s a great opportunity for the community to celebrate a common heritage,” said Senator Jack Martins, a Mineola native and grand marshal of the parade. “Mineola has always honored, respected and celebrated our multicultural heritage. My parents emigrated from Portugal. Certainly, I am honored to have been asked to be the grand marshal.” Honorary grand marshals include Maria Avila of the Portuguese Parliament, Portuguese Consul-General Manuela Bairos, Portuguese Secretary of State Teresa Morais, and New York Portuguese American Leadership Conference President Gabriel Marques and Mineola Village Board Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira.

The 20 parade floats and 50 associations/groups will assemble on Jackson Avenue behind the Chaminade High School Athletic Center, head east on Jericho Turnpike to Roslyn Road, south to Westbury Avenue and east to Union Street, where the parade will march under two-story tall American and Portuguese flags draped from fire truck ladders.

“It’s an honor to have the parade in Mineola,” said Daughters of Portugal President Rosa Leal. “I’ve lived here most of my life. My sisters and kids were born here.”

Leal, a native of Portugal moved to Mineola in 1969 and organized the 2015 parade. For her, the parade is the culmination of a culture in Mineola that has seen its Portuguese population grow exponentially.

“It’s emotional seeing everyone in the streets with the flags,” she said. “It’s beautiful. It’s a lot of work to get the parade going, but it’s worth it when you see the floats going down Jericho Turnpike.”

Pereira emigrated to the United States in 1977, attending Mineola schools, obtaining a bachelors and masters in history from Adelphi University and Queens College, respectively. He began teaching in Mineola High School in 1993. He coached varsity soccer for the last 18 years and served as president of the Portuguese Cultural Society 1999-2003 and is a 19-year member of the Portuguese Lions Club.

For photos from the 2014 Portugal Day Celebration, click here.

He was bestowed the Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest honor a lion can receive. Pereira served as an honorary grand marshal last year.

“Growing up here, to see how far the Portuguese-American community has come in such a short time, I think that we have been positive contributors to the area and it’s nice to see that recognition pay off and share that elements of culture with others,” Pereira said.

Pereira says the day is more about those that brought the Portuguese culture to Mineola; the people that came here with next to nothing, but with a steadfast dream of making it in America.

“It’s a validation of those that come before us,” Pereira said of the older Portuguese generation. “It’s our parents who came here with nothing. Who came here without speaking the language. The parade is a realization of their dreams, their hard work.”

Marques, who was born in Mineola and lives on Marcellus Road, was last year’s Portuguese Man of the Year.

“The first parade moved a lot of people,” Marques, the senior economic adviser to Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, said. “But this one is going to be extra special because we’ve seen what our community is capable of and we’re all anticipating what could come next.”

The Mineola event has garnered tri-state and global recognition, with Secretary Morais attending the parade this year.

“It’s big because our community was never highlighted the way it is now,” Marques said. “She said it’s where she wants to be.”

Furthermore, Newark and Elizabeth, NJ officials have contacted organizers of the village event, suggesting they combine their celebrations to hold a parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City. But for now, Mineola is the stronghold for the parade.

“We’ve had requests to move the parade elsewhere,” Marques said. “But right now, we want to keep it in Mineola. We’re very aware of the fact that Mineola was the first one to really step forward. It’s a thought [with the New York City] parade.”

The parade ends at Wilson Park on Union Street, with a Portugal Day Festival and Picnic courtesy of Churrasqueira Bairrada from to 7 p.m. Restaurant owner Manny Carvalho kickstarted Portuguese celebrations in Mineola, holding a festival at his restaurant in 2012. Carvalho came to the United States in 1984, with a dream of opening a restaurant. What started out as an establishment on Willis Avenue in 1993, moved into the bustling dining spot on Jericho Turnpike in 1996 that’s open today.

“This celebration makes me feel good,” Carvalho said. “It’s incredible. We are proud of our roots. The second generation of Portuguese is second-to-none. Seeing young people involved is great for the future.”