CELEBRATION TODAY, July 20, is the Colombian Declaration of Independence which refers to the events of July 20, 1810, in Santa Fe de Bogota, in the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of New Granada. They resulted in the establishment of a Juanta de Santa Fe that day. The experience in self-government eventually led to the creation of the Republic of Gran Colombia. The event marks the day in 1810, when the residents of Bogota were stirred into protesting on the streets against Spanish rule. A limited independence, later made permanent, was decreed in the country, freeing Colombia from the Spanish. One of the great appeals of the holiday is its global reach. Owing to the large amount of emigration that has taken place in Colombia’s history, many parties take place in cities throughout the world. These normally include London, San Francisco, Melbourne, and New York City. Thousands of Colombians and other Latinos take to the street to enjoy the revelry. Flower Festival International presented a show and workshop with SADEP, a Colombian cirque nouveau group, at Flushing Town Hall in Flushing Queens last July 1, 2018. The 2018 Columbian Day Parade marches on Northern Blvd from 69th St. to 86th St. in Jackson Heights, Queens, on Sunday, July 22, 2018 from 12-2 p.m. We greet Colombia and its President, Juan Manuel Santos, on the occasion of its independence day!