Cape Verdean culture will be on display as the City of New Bedford hosts the 44th Annual Cape Verdean Recognition Parade on Saturday.

Diane Gomes, Chair of the Cape Verdean Parade, told WBSM News that the event will feature many of the old favorites that people have come to enjoy along with some new additions.

"We have South Shore Dynamite Dance from Boston, that's really energetic and we have a major drum corps coming down from Allentown, Pa. and we have alot of local organizations and groups that are participating," said Gomes.

While the parade while highlight Cape Verde's independence and culture Gomes says the parade celebrates all the peoples and cultures of the Southcoast.

"We are celebrating our Cape Verdean independence and we love our culture and our history and we try to highlight it in the parade so we do have alot of Cape Verdean groups that get involved and we try to give them special places in the parade to highlight that, but we don't exclude anyone else," said Gomes.

Although Gomes says she doesn't have an exact number of participants yet, she says they have six divisions and each division has at least six groups in each divisions.

Gomes says that, in keeping with tradition, the parade will kick off at 11 a.m.

"My uncle was one of the parade chairs for years and years and responsible for starting the parade and so when I became the parade chair he told me to not mess up his record and make sure the parade starts at 11 a.m. sharp," said Gomes.

The parade will begin at Rockdale Ave. and Union St. at Buttonwood Park.

Then it will go straight down Union St., then right onto Acushnet Ave., turn right onto Grinnell St., turn right onto Purchase St. before ending at the reviewing stand located at the Cape Verdean American Veterans’ Memorial Hall at 561 Purchase St.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420