When camels are strolling crosstown on East 106th Street it can only mean one thing.
The Three Kings Day parade the celebration of Epiphany the biblical story of three kings traveling to visit The baby Jesus in Bethlehem. El Museo del Barrio has been presenting the parade for 39 years.
"The great thing about three kings here in East Harlem at El Museo, is we keep the tradition alive," said Eileen Reyes, with El Museo.
And that tradition includes hundreds of school kids with homemade crowns and massive puppets depicting the three kings.
Three notables of the Latino community are selected each year to portray the three kings this year's honorees were police officer and actor J.W. Cortes, musician and composer Arturo O'Farrill, and Sonia Manzano, who portrayed Maria on Sesame Street for 44 years.
Just like the show, she says the parade is great for kids.
"Opportunities like this are opportunities for children to fantasize and use their imaginations and think outside of the box," Manzano said.
For many who come to the parade they say the most important part is keeping the traditions of this neighborhood alive.
"I've lost a little of the tradition so I want to keep it going with my kids," said Contanza Concepcion.
"The neighborhood is changing but this is a tradition that is old world," said Aurora Flores. "So it's something that we must retain."
And share in a neighborhood long known as the center of the Puerto Rican community, but now home to new residents from the Latin world and everywhere else.