More broadly, many Puerto Ricans complain that the parade has become an embarrassing spectacle that encourages bad behavior, gives their culture a black eye and is as much a marketing opportunity for big corporations as it is a celebration of what they have achieved.

“It hurts me in my heart when I see this parade,” said Ildefonso Rivera, 57, a carpenter who as a boy used to wait by the curb with his father to watch the floats. “I don’t see the floats with our culture. I see the floats for Coors. Today, it’s just one big commercial.”

Such criticisms intensified recently when elected officials and activists protested a commemorative Coors Light beer can for the parade that included the Puerto Rican flag and a modified version of the parade’s logo, saying it was insulting and sent the wrong message when the theme this year was dedicated to health. The can is no longer being distributed, but the furor aggravated tensions between many Puerto Rican leaders and elected officials and the parade’s organizer, National Puerto Rican Day Parade Inc., a nonprofit organization overseen by a volunteer board.

Despite highly visible sponsorships by MillerCoors, Goya Foods and others, the parade and its related activities, including a gala banquet and a pageant, have operated at a loss every year since at least 2005, tax filings show. The parade’s organization reported that it raised a total of about $460,000 in revenues in 2012, but spent over $620,000 on the parade and related activities, leaving a deficit of about $159,000.