Parades - The New York City Events You Don"t Want to Miss
New York city is a major center for media, publishing, fashion, and finance, so it's easy to forget another way they excel: parades are the New York city events you don't want to miss.
The city is most famous for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, an annual (of course) event viewed by an in-person and televized audience of millions.
For many people, this is the New York city event that first acquaints them with the city -- I can remember seeing the parade on TV years ago and wanting to live in the city some day.
The parade dates back to 1924, when a Macy's employee, Louis Bamberger, decided to celebrate Thanksgiving in the European tradition.
He and his fellow employees arranged an unforgettable, uniquely New York event, complete with costumes, a marching band, and animals from the Central Park Zoo.
Aside from a brief hiatus during the Second World War, the parade has been an annual New York city event ever since.
Almost as recognizable as the Macy's parade, the Village Halloween Parade is another New York city event that simply couldn't happen anywhere else.
Dating back to 1973, when a mask maker decided to put on a puppet show to help children feel safe celebrating Halloween.
Ironically, the Village Halloween Parade attracts more adults than other similar New York city events.
The parade's costumes range from the traditional Halloween garb to whimsical reinterpretations, and from humorous sendups to serious political messages.
Puerto Rican Day Parade is one of many unmistakable New York city events that have inspired similar events worldwide.
With more than three million spectators, the parade (which has been an annual event since 1958) is one of the largest in the country, and has inspired more than fifty other Puerto Rican Day parades in other American cities.
The parade celebrates New York city's large Puerto Rican community -- one of the largest outside of Puerto Rico itself.
One of the oldest New York city events is the Saint Patrick's Day Parade which is, in fact, older than the United States -- the first such parade in New York city was held in 1762.
Although Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated with parades in numerous cities with significant Irish populations, the New York city event is one of the largest -- second only to Dublin's (strangely, Moscow began holding a Saint Patrick's Day parade after the collapse of the USSR, with brief breaks for economic crises in the late 90's).
A more recent event is New York's Gay Pride Parade.
New York city was the site of many important events during the gay rights movement, including the pivotal Stonewall Riots of 1969.
The parade commemorates this event by marching past the site of the riots.
Like other New York city events, this is one of the first gay pride parades.
Such parades are now common in many major cities.
One of the most popular and unique New York city events is the Labor Day Carnival a parade held on the first Monday in September.
Dating back to 1947, this originally celebrated the West Indian community in Harlem.
Since then, it has moved to Brooklyn and become one of the most inclusive New York city events, attracting approximately four million viewers annually.
With all of these parades, some dating back centuries and unimaginable just a few decades ago, it's easy to see why there are enough New York city events to keep anyone in the city busy.
The city is most famous for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, an annual (of course) event viewed by an in-person and televized audience of millions.
For many people, this is the New York city event that first acquaints them with the city -- I can remember seeing the parade on TV years ago and wanting to live in the city some day.
The parade dates back to 1924, when a Macy's employee, Louis Bamberger, decided to celebrate Thanksgiving in the European tradition.
He and his fellow employees arranged an unforgettable, uniquely New York event, complete with costumes, a marching band, and animals from the Central Park Zoo.
Aside from a brief hiatus during the Second World War, the parade has been an annual New York city event ever since.
Almost as recognizable as the Macy's parade, the Village Halloween Parade is another New York city event that simply couldn't happen anywhere else.
Dating back to 1973, when a mask maker decided to put on a puppet show to help children feel safe celebrating Halloween.
Ironically, the Village Halloween Parade attracts more adults than other similar New York city events.
The parade's costumes range from the traditional Halloween garb to whimsical reinterpretations, and from humorous sendups to serious political messages.
Puerto Rican Day Parade is one of many unmistakable New York city events that have inspired similar events worldwide.
With more than three million spectators, the parade (which has been an annual event since 1958) is one of the largest in the country, and has inspired more than fifty other Puerto Rican Day parades in other American cities.
The parade celebrates New York city's large Puerto Rican community -- one of the largest outside of Puerto Rico itself.
One of the oldest New York city events is the Saint Patrick's Day Parade which is, in fact, older than the United States -- the first such parade in New York city was held in 1762.
Although Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated with parades in numerous cities with significant Irish populations, the New York city event is one of the largest -- second only to Dublin's (strangely, Moscow began holding a Saint Patrick's Day parade after the collapse of the USSR, with brief breaks for economic crises in the late 90's).
A more recent event is New York's Gay Pride Parade.
New York city was the site of many important events during the gay rights movement, including the pivotal Stonewall Riots of 1969.
The parade commemorates this event by marching past the site of the riots.
Like other New York city events, this is one of the first gay pride parades.
Such parades are now common in many major cities.
One of the most popular and unique New York city events is the Labor Day Carnival a parade held on the first Monday in September.
Dating back to 1947, this originally celebrated the West Indian community in Harlem.
Since then, it has moved to Brooklyn and become one of the most inclusive New York city events, attracting approximately four million viewers annually.
With all of these parades, some dating back centuries and unimaginable just a few decades ago, it's easy to see why there are enough New York city events to keep anyone in the city busy.
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