Thousands Turn Out For Puerto Rican Day Parade On Ben Franklin Parkway

By Mike Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a picture perfect day to celebrate Puerto Rican culture on the Ben Franklin Parkway.

The sun was hot for the Puerto Rican Day parade on Sunday. The salsa dancers were even hotter.

Juan Gonzalez said the day's festivities reminded him of being back on the island.

"You feel like you're going back home," he said. "Everything you see reminds you of where you're from, where you came from -- and it's good."

Luis Rodriguez, marching with the Tremendous Dance Company from North Philadelphia, was thankful for a fall day that felt like summer.

"It's really a nice day, and everything is nice," she said. "It's organized, lots of colors, flags and a lot of costumes."

According to the 2010 census, Philadelphia has the second highest Puerto Rican population among U.S. cities at nearly 122,000.

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