Manhattan’s St Patrick’s Day Parade 2023 is a beloved New York tradition that began on March 17, 1762 when New York was still British. That was fourteen years BEFORE the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The first parade was made by Irish patriots serving in the British Army. At the time, wearing green was forbidden in Ireland. Wow!
Today, around 250,000 people march in the parade in front of around 2 million spectators.
There are many St Patrick’s Day Parades in New York City, but this is the big one.
NYC St Patrick’s Day Parade 2023
Manhattan’s St Patrick’s Day Parade 2023 marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th St to 79th St; on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 11am.
Wear your best green and enjoy the luck of the Irish.
St Patrick’s Day Parade 2023 Route
The parade marches proudly on Fifth Avenue:
- Starts at 44th St in Midtown / Midtown East at 11am.
- Ends at 79th St in Central Park / Upper East Side.
The parade is very popular. For best viewing, the early bird gets the worm. But beware, there are no restrooms on the parade route.
The parade goes on rain or shine. A cold rain or snow never stopped the Irish. It feels like home.
Scholarships
A good education is an important step on the path towards a good life. The parade offers scholarships for both high school and college students. For details, visit nycstpatricksparade.org
Gala
The annual Foundation Gala, a major source of scholarship funding, and a roaring good time, is Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
Grand Marshal
This year’s Grand Marshal is Kevin J. Conway. He is Vice Chairman of Clayton, Dublilier & Rise, a global private equity firm.
For more information, visit nycstpatricksparade.org
Are Irish Latins?
No Irish are not Latin, but there are Latins that share Celtic culture in both Brittany, France and Galicia, Spain. We play bagpipes and wear kilts. Irish, Welsh, Bretons and Galicians are all Atlantic sailors. We were pushed into the western frontiers of our lands or to emigrate, by the Angles and Saxons, Franks or Romans. All our lands are famous for their ancient sacred stones.
Brittany is a large peninsula in northwest France. About one quarter of the people there speak Breton, a Celtic language related to Cornish and Welsh. We call our bagpipes “biniou” or “comemuse” and also play the harp. The InterCeltique Festival in August is a major Celtic festival.
Galicia is the northwestern corner of Spain, north of Portugal. Galicians consider themselves to be Celts who migrated in the thousand years before the Common Era. We speak galego which is related to Portuguese and Spanish, but also has Celtic words. We call our bagpipes “gaita.” The Festival Ortigueria is an international Celtic festival in July. There is an old galego community in Astoria, Queens. There are also many galegos in Argentina.
The “Black Irish,” or Irish with dark hair and eyes is now widely considered just a myth. The story is that we are descended from Spanish sailors shipwrecked after the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British Navy in 1588. It’s a great story, but genetics prove it wrong.
There are also many Irish in Latin America. Some played important roles in the liberation of the Americas from the colonizers. It’s surprising to see Irish names in Latin America, but they are around, here and there.
So look for French, Spanish, and maybe some Latin American marchers in the St Patrick’s Day Parade.
