New York Comes Alive In The Easter Parade Where Paraders Adorn Easter Confections And Participating Businesses Host Spring-Time Activities


New York's Easter Parade Is A Sea Of Spring-Time Whimsy

Easter Parade

While most parades in New York City are organized, structured, and timed to the minute, the Easter Parade, (star of stage and song, no less) is more of a pastel-colored free-for-all, a sea of spring-time whimsy winding its way up Fifth Avenue today. (Happy Easter.)

The paraders mosey (it can’t exactly be called marching) up Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets; many of those participating sport elaborate Easter confections atop their heads (as in hats), as do the spectators. The street is closed to traffic from 10 am to 4 pm, and the parade seems to reach its peak around Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

Children's Museum Of Manhattan East Activities

Once you’ve had your fill of the parade, take the kids to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan ( 212 721-1223; 212 West 83rd Street) where the day is dedicated to Easter crafts and activities. From decorating papier-mache eggs to painting a pastel mural, it’s all about Easter there today. Easter egg hunts are taking place around the city at locations as varied as the Queens County Farm Museum (718-347-3276) in Floral Park; to Prospect Park in Brooklyn (718-965-8951).

And looking ahead to the end of the month, get ready for an Easter Bonnet Competition like no other. The bonnets are crafted by the casts and crews of various theater productions in New York as part of a fundraising drive. It caps off six weeks of fundraising and takes place at the Minskoff Theater on April 26 and 27th. Call 212 840-0770 to order tickets or for more information. Can Mother's Day be far behind?