From a roller skate party to a soap box derby, Bronxites participated in a bevy of events during Bronx Week. The 16-day celebration, which kicked off May 1, officially wrapped on Sunday with the Bronx Unity & Culture parade and festival.Â
Emceed by Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Bronx News 12's Marissa Santarelli, what started out as a quiet spattering of people along Mosholu Parkway quickly grew into a diverse crowd of all creeds and ages.
Before the smiles and celebrations, the day started on a somber note as members of community board 7 and fellow attendees gathered at the Bronx Victory memorial near Hull Avenue to remember recently fallen Army soldiers, Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington and First Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key, Jr. The two, from Florida and Virginia, respectively, went missing during a military training in Morocco on May 1.
Their bodies were found in the ocean a little more than a week later, with conflicting reports on how the two went missing in the first place. After a moment of silence and closing remarks, the parade was underway, lead by Borough President Vanessa Gibson with the FDNY ceremonial unit and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark following close behind.Â
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Local schools and dozens of organizations, ranging from the Borough President's African Advisory Council to the Bronx Bangladeshi Society of New York Inc., truly exemplified the culture and unity of the parade as they all embraced the theme for 2026.
“ My theme this year, ‘The Bronx Leads,' is really about elevation. It's about amplifying the voices of the people and the places that make the Bronx what it is today; a great place to live, to work, raise our families and do business,†Gibson told the Bronx Times. “And storytelling, the story of the Bronx, of how we have come so far, right? Devastation, poverty, burnout, fires, crime and we're a lot better. We're not perfect, but we're a lot better.â€
Gibson added she has her sights on the Bronx having its own “full-fledged asthma center,†a disease disproportionately affecting Bronxites. According to the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, “New York City has one of the country's highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to asthma among children and young adults, with African American and Latino patients accounting for more than 80% of the cases.â€Â
Parade-goers were encouraged to obtain life-saving information from the booths at the festival, which included the American Cancer Society. Food and music were also plentifully available as some created impromptu picnics, eating their food on the grass and under the warm 87-degree sun.
I think it's just a celebration of the Bronx and what we have to offer,†said Stephanie Lorenzo who grew up near Mosholu Parkway and was at the festival with her young niece.
“The Bronx often times has, like, a bad reputation of not having anything. It's normally just crime and negative things. But I think it's important to acknowledge all the diversity of music, food, and safety.â€
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