Easter parade
The Easter parade is an American cultural event consisting of a festive strolling procession on Easter Sunday. Typically, it is a somewhat informal and unorganized event, with or without religious significance. Persons participating in an Easter parade traditionally dress in new and fashionable clothing, particularly ladies' hats, and strive to impress others with their finery. The Easter parade is most closely associated with Fifth Avenue in New York City, but Easter parades are held in many other cities. Starting as a spontaneous event in the 1870s, the New York parade became increasingly popular into the mid-20th century—in 1947, it was estimated to draw over a million people.[1] Its popularity has declined significantly, drawing only 30,000 people in 2008. In 2020, the Easter parade in Manhattan, New York, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[2]
For other uses, see Easter parade (disambiguation).
Fifth Avenue, 1900
1908
1910
1995
2007
Other venues[edit]
As New York's parade grew in prominence from the 1880s onward, other cities developed their own versions. Philadelphia and Boston were among these, as were Coney Island and Atlantic City, where the parades became tourist attractions. In 1925, Coney Island merchants hired fifty show girls to parade in bathing suits as part of the event. The crowds were huge. During the 1920s, Atlantic City's parade attracted 200,000 and more. The parade there had become a vacation carnival of costuming and consumption—a rollicking amusement for the tourist.
In the 21st century, Easter parades are conducted in many cities, with prominent ones:
Richmond has hosted a parade along four blocks of Monument Avenue for over 50 years with 25,000 participants dressed in their Easter attire join it annually.[16] The parade moves.
New Orleans hosts parades on Easter Sunday, including the French Quarter Easter Parade featuring classic attires, the Chris Owens Easter Parade with floats and marching bands, and the Gay Easter Parade celebrating LGBTQ culture in a kid-friendly atmosphere.[17]
Toronto hosts a Queen Street East Easter Parade with a few dozen bands and floats. The East Toronto Community Association organized the first parade in 1967, to mark Canada's Centennial year, with a route was along the boardwalk. In 1973, the Beaches Lions Club in Toronto began involvement with the parade. In 1974, the parade was moved to Queen Street. By 1981, the Lions became the organizer of the parade.[18][19]
