The Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival has been rescheduled to Oct. 8.
The parade, which features thousands of marchers, was planned for earlier this month, but was postponed following a crash that killed Detective Bobby Garten and injured another Hartford police officer.
“The event, originally planned for Sept. 10, 2023, was delayed as a mark of respect for the fallen officer of the Hartford Police Department,” parade organizers said in a statement.
The parade is an important day for Hartford to celebrate Puerto Rican heritage, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said. But he said the large gathering requires significant police staffing and urged parade organizers to postpone the event, which had been slated to occur just days after Garten’s death, to give the police department the time and space to grieve.
Parade organizers agreed.
“We believe it is imperative to prioritize the current situation, to allow time for healing and reflection,” Samuel Vega, Jr., president of the Connecticut Institute for Community Development-Puerto Rican Parade Committee, said earlier this month.
The Hartford Puerto Rican Parade features thousands of marching participants. Event organizers say it is the largest parade in the city of Hartford and the Hartford region.
Connecticut Public’s Maricarmen Cajahuaringa contributed to this report.
