Bands, floats and over 100 marching groups took over Manhattan’s 5th Avenue on Monday for the largest celebration of Italian American Culture of the year, the 78th annual Columbus Day Parade.
The parade started from 44th street at 11:30 A.M. and went North on 5th avenue up to 72nd street.
The event dates back to 1929 with routes in East Harlem and officially became a celebration of Italian heritage in 1944.
NY mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul were among the officials who walked in the parade, along with the city’s police commissioner Keechant Sewell.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the 10th and current archbishop of New York, watched the celebration from the stairs of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Tom Golisano, philanthropist and Paychex founder, was this year’s Grand Marshall of the parade.
Thousands of people gathered on the sidewalks with tricolore flags to cheer for all the Italians and Italian Americans in the country and for their contributions to society.
Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the States to celebrate the anniversary Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on October 12th (1492).
Author
