Thousands of people come together to honor their Dominican heritage by celebrating in the Annual Dominican Day Parade. The parade takes place in New York City on August 10, with the march starting on 36 Street and 6th Ave and ending on 52nd Street. In past year's turnout to the parade has been as high as half a million people, with 10,000 participants in the parade itself. The event commemorates the war for Dominican independence against Spain, which began in 1863. The festivities include floats, traditional music, dance, food and the display of red, white and blue colors of the Dominican flag. Colorful and ornate costumes are one of the unique qualities of the parade; other Dominican elements of the parade include the diablos cojuelo (lame devils) who traditionally perform in Dominican Republic's Carnival celebration. The diablos cojuelo wear long horned masks, colorful ruffled costumes, and wield thick bullwhips fashioned out of ropes. The diablos cojueros are a direct reference to the traditions of the Dominican carnival. It is said that one of the reasons the lame devils came to be was because of the difficulties of moving around in the crowded streets during the festivities. For instance the whip and the inflated pig bladder carried by the lame devils were used to ward of the crowds. The themes and the costumes in the parade come from various influences, many of which can be traced back to old religious traditions of the Dominican Republic. New York State is home to the largest population of ethnic Dominicans in the country, with a population that passes 670,000. The Dominican Parade in New York City celebrates myriad of traditions born in the Dominican Republic, and gives younger generations the opportunity to witness their heritage celebrated in the streets of New York.