If any Mineola resident thought the 2015 edition of the Portugal Day Parade could top the inaugural event held last year, they were sadly mistaken. Jericho Turnpike— renamed Portugal Boulevard for the day—was packed with residents and the Westbury Avenue sidewalks in front of the local homes and driveways were the scene of culture, pride and heritage yesterday.

This year’s parade was also much longer, lasting about three hours from initial kickoff at about 11 a.m. Sunday morning from Saville Road next to Chaminade High School before turning east onto Jericho Turnpike, spanning the whole distance to Roslyn Road where it turned south before heading east on Westbury Avenue and ending in front of the entrance to the Wilson Park municipal lot. More than 50 groups celebrating Portuguese heritage, as well as numerous floats and classic cars were included in the parade, with numerous groups from around the tri-state area and some even further marching along this year’s route.

For more photos from the 2015 parade, click here.

The 2014 inaugural parade had been the first time in about 20 years that a parade in the village has had such deep and specific Portuguese ties. The previous time such a celebration was held was in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s journey to the New World.

In addition to the number of floats representing Portuguese music, several local Portuguese schools, community groups and Forclorico dancers, the entry by Manny Carvalho sponsored by Churrasqueira Bairrada once again continues to impress with the professional craftsmanship brought about by the same float construction professionals who work on the Carnival parade in Panama.

“Thousands of people are out here, it’s incredible,” remarked Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss. “The streets are lined with people, it’s great; it’s great that we’re celebrating the Portuguese community, people are coming from all over the country to come here to Mineola for this parade.”

This year the parade committee selected as its grand marshal NY Sen. Jack Martins, (R-Mineola).

“It’s always a thrill to be recognized by the Portuguese community, certainly for Portugal Day it’s an honor,” Martins said. “These are friends and neighbors and when they take the time to recognize your efforts it means that much more. I think [the parade is] becoming part of the fabric here; we’re very lucky we live in Mineola here, a community that celebrates its diversity and this is one way that we do that.”

An extra special guest this year was Portuguese Secretary of State Teresa Morais, who stated that she makes a point to visit a nearby community in the New York area with strong Portuguese heritage and ties during her annual visit the United States at the meeting on the UN Commission on Human Rights with the assistance of Maria Avila, a member of the Portuguese Parliament and Manuela Bairos, the Portuguese consulate in New York.

“In every year since 2012, she took me to a Portuguese community,” Morais said. “I saw pictures of what happens on the commemorations of the Day of Portugal everywhere and I thought ‘this is where I would like to live, a Day of Portugal celebrated like this’. it was the first time I really experienced a party like this on the Day of Portugal; it was simple and fantastic.”

For photos from last year’s parade, click here.

Mineola is currently home to the largest number of residents of Portuguese heritage in New York State.

“She is a fantastic advocate for our local communities,” said Martins. “She’s aware of it, she’s been to Mineola before and certainly having her here participating in our parade is fantastic.”