Every year Spanish Harlem lights up on the day before the National Puerto Rican Day Parade with a huge festival on 116th Street, music blasting all day, people out in the streets strutting their stuff, homemade cooking on every block…it’s just one big fun party from morning until late into the night. One of the highlights is a dance jam at the Lexington Academy playground on 104th & Lex. B-boys come out to compete and show off their moves. The DJ plays an amazing mix of old-school classics from hip hop to jazz to salsa, and neighborhood folks just let loose and get down.

In the summer you can also find the b-boys shaking it at the Spanish Harlem Hop in White Playground on 106th between Third & Lex every Thursday.