ORLANDO, Fla. — All eyes are on Orlando this weekend with two of the biggest events of 2024.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Saturday, tens of thousands of people are expected to pack downtown Orlando for the Puerto Rican Parade and Festival.
This year, the parade is honoring the town of Juncos. While known today for its prominent sports scene, it’s also a regional business hub.
Read: Leesburg pulls off Bikefest that almost didn’t happen
Since it’s an election year, organizers are encouraging civic engagement as this year’s theme.
Students are also getting to benefit. The parade offered scholarships for five students to go to college.
The parade itself is expected to double in size from last year. Capacity reached about 25,000 in 2024. In preparation — the city is shutting down roads surrounding the parade route from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Most will re-open by 3 p.m. The parade itself will be running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.