What to Expect: While not as popular as New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Easter Day Parade is still crowded - attendees in a typical parade number well over 30,000.

• Hats and Finery: Fashion is becoming an increasingly significant part of the NYC Easter Parade - unsurprisingly, as the Easter Day Parade takes place on Fifth Avenue, the most expensive shopping street in the world. Participants often dress in new and fashionable clothing, donning elaborate hats and accessories. In recent years, however, the parade has taken on some of the novelty of Halloween, with participants dressing in gaudy costumes meant to parody the extravagant outfits of times past.
• Mixed Crowd: Originally a purely religious event, the NYC Easter Parade now draws people of all religious beliefs, most of whom attend the parade to check out the latest fashions. For every person observing the religious holiday you're likely to find one satirizing its extravagances - some go so far as to don mesh, flower-adorned hats filled with live birds.

Inside Knowledge: Established in the late nineteenth century, the NYC Easter Parade was for many years a symbol of American culture and prosperity. Once a purely religious celebration, the Easter Day Parade now draws people of varied beliefs; the parade itself has been, for the most part, secularized, as an increasing number of people attend the parade to see and be seen in (or parody) the latest fashions.

Event Hints:

• Don't Drive: Street parking near the Easter Day Parade is extremely limited and garage parking expensive, so we recommend leaving the car at home and taking the subway to where the parade route begins.
• Answer Nature's Call: Portable restrooms are not available at the NYC Easter Parade, so we recommend relieving yourself before attending this NYC event.
• Bring the Kids: Children will enjoy the bustling activity of the Easter Parade NYC every bit as much as adults. This is a family-friendly event, so don't leave the kiddos at home!