New Yorkers are ready for the seasonal shift to warmer, snow-free spring weather.
The city is celebrating in style this weekend with a parade that ditches traditional floats and cars in favor of people — and pets — in elaborate hats and costumes.
This year’s Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 5, near St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown. The festivities typically run until about 4 p.m.
What is the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
The parade — which dates back to the 1870s — is informal and often involves costumed participants simply showing up outside the cathedral on Easter morning.
The tradition began as a post-church gathering, when New Yorkers would stroll along Fifth Avenue in their finest spring attire, a tradition later popularized by cultural figures like Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, according to NYC Tourism.
Today, participants move along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th streets as onlookers gather to take photos. The area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral, between 50th and 51st streets, is typically the busiest viewing spot.
The event is free and open to anyone who wants to participate or watch.
There is no formal procession. People simply stroll along Fifth Avenue in costume throughout the day.
Casey Sobel, a Brooklyn-based artist, has attended the festival for years. She often spends months creating the elaborate hats — and sometimes full costumes — that she wears along Fifth Avenue.
“It feels like a beautiful community of people because we are all just there to express ourselves in new and interesting ways without it being a contest,” she said.
The mixed-media artist and costume jeweler has transformed herself into a garden gnome, a flower pot and even a giant disco bunny with fluorescent pink fur.
This year, she plans to go as a teapot.
“Not only is this a beautiful artist and creative expression of our excitement for spring and getting to shake off the coldness of winter and being inside and being able to use all the things that are at our disposal within our day-to-day lives,” she said. “But being able to create something beautiful, elaborate and silly without being able to focus on ‘Who spent the most amount of money?’”
What about street closures?
New Yorkers and commuters should expect sections of Fifth Avenue to be closed for the festivities, particularly between 49th and 57th streets.
Closures typically begin Sunday morning and last through the afternoon, though the city has not yet released full details.
City officials usually post updates through the Department of Transportation ahead of the event.
