Diaz Jr. honored by NYBG at Fiesta de Flores event

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) presented the Hispanic Heritage Month Distinguished Leadership Award to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., during its annual Fiesta de Flores event at the Botanical Garden, part of its Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month celebration of the plants and people of Latin America and the Caribbean. The award was an original modillion (an ornate architectural bracket) from the 1937 restoration of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, designed by Lord & Burnham circa 1899, opened in 1902. It was presented to the borough president in recognition of his outstanding leadership, commitment and contributions to the people of the Bronx and the borough by CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President Jennifer Bernstein and Trustees Joseph A. Thompson and Anthony Perez, on behalf of NYBG’s staff and Board of Trustees.

Fiesta de Flores, presented in collaboration with New York City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, representing District 16 in the Bronx, honored the cultural traditions and botanical heritage of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean region through music, crafts, food and more. Highlights included performances by Carlos Jimenez Mambo Quartet and Bombazo Dance Co. The evening also featured guided tours of Caribbean plants in the Haupt Conservatory, a floral arranging demonstration, and local vendors and artisans.