New York City’s Columbus Day Parade celebrates Italian pride

NEW YORK — New York City’s annual Columbus Day Parade marched through Manhattan today, celebrating Italian American culture. 

The 80th annual parade takes place in Midtown, traveling up 5th Avenue from 42nd Street to 72nd. Many streets along the route were closed. 

The parade began at 11:30 a.m. with floats, bands and other marching groups and wrapped up around 3:30 p.m.

Hundreds proudly sang and waved Italian flags. There were floats, dancers, marching bands and classic Italian cars bringing the spirit of Italy to life. 

The parade was preceded by a mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and there were also street closures for the Columbus Day Festival between Liberty Street and Battery Place on Broadway. 

For many families, the Catholic faith plays a central role in their Italian culture and traditions. 

“It’s a beautiful mass that many Italians come from Italy just to be here,” said Joseph Aquino outside the cathedral. 

“My great-grandparents came here around the turn of the century. Didn’t speak any English, and the only thing they could do was work with their hands.” Gina Lioti said. “So my great-grandfather was a shoemaker, he made ballet slippers, and my great-grandmother was a seamstress as well.”

“It’s just all of our family coming together, and food, and we have all these Italian songs that we always sing together,” added Grace Lioti. 

“Started to arrive in America at the end of the 19th century… Faced lots of hardships and discrimination, sometimes racial hatred,” Consul General of Italy Fabrizio Di Michele said. “But was able, through work and tough sacrifices, to climb up and integrate actually within the American society, fulfilling the American dream.”

Columbus Day is a celebration of Christopher Columbus, who was born in Italy and known to have discovered what’s considered “the New World,” modern-day North and South America.  

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were among those in attendance. 

“The bedrock of the city when you look at the early Irish and Italians in building our infrastructure that we still stand on today. So I’m excited to be here,” said Adams. “This community means a lot to me – working class people that understand family, faith and the foundation of our city and business.”

“Today is the day we celebrate all Italian Americans,” Hochul said. 

NYC celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day

The federal holiday has faced controversy over claims that Columbus exploited and abused indigenous people, so some states changed the name to Indigenous Peoples Day.

Thousands gathered on Randalls Island for the 10th annual Indigenous Peoples Day New York City.

NYC is also marking Indigenous Peoples Day with a party celebrating the Urban Indigenous Collective, an indigenous-led nonprofit health organization. 

The event features indigenous art, music, food and traditional healing practices. It takes place from 7 p.m. to midnight on Crosby Street in SoHo. 

Columbus Day Parade 2024 road closures

The following streets will be closed at NYPD’s discretion on parade day, according to the New York City Department of Transportation: 

Formation:

• 43rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 44th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 45th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 46th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 47th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue

Route:

• 5th Avenue between 72nd Street and 42nd Street

Dispersal:

• 5th Avenue between 72nd Street and 79th Street
• 72nd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 73rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 74th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 75th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 76th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 77th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 78th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

Miscellaneous:

• 51st Street between 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza
• 58th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 60th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 63rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 64th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 68th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 69th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 70th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• Madison Avenue between 76th Street and 68th Street

Brooklyn’s Columbus Day Parade

Brooklyn’s Columbus Day Parade marched through Bensonhurst on Saturday. The parade has been a tradition in the borough for over 40 years. 

Hundreds of people — many proudly waving Italian flags — marched up 18th Avenue, aka Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard, to Il Centro Community Center, New York City’s first Italian American cultural center. 

“It’s a celebration of the contributions of who we are. All of us. And every one of us should celebrate,” said Jack Spatola, chairman of the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn and executive chairman of the parade.

The Brooklyn parade has grown to represent more than Italian culture, including “Asian Americans … Arabic, Irish, all different backgrounds. It’s great,” Spatola said. 

Meanwhile, a two-day celebration is underway on Randall’s Island, with cultural performances and ceremonies, along with advocates and activists.