Despite the torrential rain, the square in New York's oldest public park - Bowling Green - was filled with Bulgarians and their friends. Once again, Bulgaria's national holiday was honoured by New York Mayor Eric Adams, who welcomed the Bulgarian community to its celebration. 

The Mayor issued a proclamation declaring March 3 as Bulgarian Heritage Day in New York City. With Bulgarian Heritage Day, the government of the megalopolis expresses its appreciation for the enormous contribution of the Bulgarian community in many spheres of life in New York and marks March 3, 1878 as "the date of the restoration of statehood to a nation known for its art, cuisine, natural beauty and biodiversity". 

In his welcome address, Angel Angelov, Bulgaria's Consul General in New York, congratulated the community and said that the first Bulgarian-language artificial intelligence platform - BgGPT, co-created by the Sofia-based Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) - would be made available to the public on the National Day. 

The celebration programme featured dozens of performers from Bulgarian schools and cultural centres in New York City.