Savannah Hispanic Heritage Parade returns

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Hispanic Heritage Month started this weekend, and celebrations are kicking off.

The Savannah Hispanic Heritage Parade is back for the first time since 2017, celebrating the growing community in the city. I spoke with officials who say the parade shows that you can be from all over the world and still call Savannah home.

“It connects us, it educates us, it helps bring us together, it makes our world a whole lot smaller. It allows people to be who they are,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said.

Ten Latin-American Countries were represented at the parade, which organizers say is quite the increase since the first parade six years ago. Because of the growth of the Hispanic population in the city, the parade also had a new route this year, making its way through Broughton Street.

“Now we’re going downtown, the Business district, which is awesome. And everybody that we talked about, about the parade is coming, they’re really really happy, they’re just shouting with joy, literally,” Alfonso Ribot said.

Ribot hoping that the parade is a way to share culture among all of Savannah’s communities.

“We’re in government, we’re in the industry, we’re in the banking industry. And now, what we’re trying to do is make sure that people just like us can get together and share with other people about our culture.”

Hispanic heritage month goes on until October.

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