The 78th annual Columbus Day Parade brought love and cheer to Midtown on Oct. 10.
Thousands of spectators gathered from 47th Street and Fifth Avenue to 72nd Street to observe the world’s largest commemorative event honoring Italian-American heritage. Kicking off at 12 p.m., approximately 35,000 participants walked through the streets with floats, marching bands, and dancers while waving the Italian flag. Among the participants is this year’s Grand Marshal Tom Golisano, a well-known philanthropist and founder of the payroll service, Paychex, and elected officials Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, among others.
The annual holiday, Columbus Day — which was officially created in 1944 — has been a contentious topic for several years with some elected leaders pushing for a bill that would change its name to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Despite the controversy, Italian-Americans at the event commemorated their traditional holiday proudly.
The parade culminated at 3 p.m. on 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
