Easter Parade Draws Thousands to Promenade Outside St. Patrick’s

Thousands, undeterred by the gray skies and the threat of rain, turned out for one of the city’s more colorful traditions, the annual Easter Parade outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday, April 4. While the rain in the forecast held down the number of revelers, the crowd was no less spirited.

The tradition dates back to the 1870s when society women in the post Civil War era would promenade down Fifth Avenue after services on Easter Sunday showcasing their fashionable bonnets, which, according to the Museum of the City of New York, was the crowning glory of every woman’s and girl’s ensemble.

Today elaborate and colorful hats are still the biggest lore, but so are home made costumes, many of which have been in the works for weeks or even years.

”I’ve never been,” said Heather, who was heading to the parade with her partner Ben. She had donned a more elaborate costume which she said she working on for “about two weeks.” Ben came with only a fancy hat.

Roddy Caravella and his wife Gretchen Fenston came decked out in as a lady and gentleman from the 1930s.

”We have all this in our wardrobe,” conceded Caravella, of their costumes. “It just matter of going through it and picking one.” He’s a woodworker and dance teacher. Gretchen, who works for Conde Nast, said she’s been coming to the colorful parade since the 1990s and eventually convinced her husband to join her.

While some spent weeks working on their attire, Christopher Hardwick, who is appearing in the off Broadway play Masquerade, said he spent only about twenty minutes on his costume. Pointing to the silver butterflies on his bonnet, he said, “They were in my Christmas box.” and they were mounted on poles he made from clothes hangers.

He had bumped into Suzie Sims-Fletcher at the promenade. She spent considerably more time piecing together her outfit. “This hat was given to me by a woman in her 80s who probably wore it in the 50s. The pearls are my mothers.” She said spent a year working on and off on her coat. “It was hard,” she conceded. But she plans to wear it even after the Easter Parade is over. “It has pockets,” she said, “what every woman needs.”

Bimini Wright, who goes by the name Bimini.cricket, was sporting a sash which proclaimed her as Miss Subways 2025. “I really am Miss Subways 2025. You can google me,” said Wright, a comedic burlesque artist whose subway inspired outfit featured a bustier made out of Metro Cards and a bonnet that featured a miniature rat, a pigeon and an old style subway token. She had to beat eight other contestants for the crown in July 2025 in a contest at Coney Island sponsored by the City Religuary Museum. She was there with Jeannette Johson. “We’re besties,” said Johnson.

Marna Barlage, a little bit away from the maddening crowd outside St. Patrick’s said was orginally from Brazil but now lives in the West Village. She said it was her fourth year and admits she’s used the same bonnet for the past three years. She was accompanied by her grown daughter Lois Ceasar who said they were actually looking to join up with friends. “We’re a gang of six.”

Eef Vicca said she was originally from Belgium but has been coming to the East Parade for five years. “It’s great,” said Vicca, who said she spent six hours working on her outfit with the help of a stylist, who incorporated a Trader Joe’s bag into her bonnet.

Sharon Kwik was there with her largely silent partner, Christopher Cardinale, who was dressed as a scary Easter bunny. She explained he been working on his mask on and off for a couple of years.

”This is my favorite holiday in the city,” said Kwik. “It’s like Halloween without the drunks.” Cardinale is a graphic artist and said he didn’t originally conceive of it as a scary rabbit costume. As to align and misgivings, an reveler, Tammy MacKenzie, who was in from Oakland, NJ assured him, “You look great!”

Vintage clothing was very much in vogue. “We all have a love of vintage clothing,” said Joanna Carpenter, one of a gang of six. “New York is the epi-center of vintage clothing” said one of the friends, Astrae McCormick, who said she’s been coming since she was four years old.

Emily, a mom, had her four-year-old son Hartley and two-year-old daughter Gemma with her, She said her daughters first year, “she was an egg. I was pregnant.” Her four year old son proudly spelled his name for a passing reporter, before asking his mom: “Can we have two more babies.” Mom did not answer.

Casey Sobel, decked out in a hat fashioned to resemble a tea cup said she comes every year. “It’s a reason to celebrate.”

As the revelers milled about, they were under the careful eyes of officers from the NYPD Counterterrorism unit. There were no crime incidents to report, but Sgt. Luizzo and Patrol officer Barnes were ever vigilant as they surveyed the crowd for possible evil doers. “You never know at events like this,” Sgt. Luizzo said.

Unlike most parades in the city where spectators are kept behind barricades and separated from marchers, at the Easter Parade, the spectators with cameras at the ready and the promenaders in fancy bonnets and outfits mingle side-by-side outside St. Patrick’s on Fifth Ave. between 50th Street and 51st Street with no set route other than to hang out for an hour or two and enjoy the costumes,

If anyone was a little disappointed, it might have been the roving umbrella salesman. Most of the revelers began showing up in force after the 10 a.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Hicks let out and many began dispersing around 12:30 p.m. just as the rain started getting a little heavier. Asked how business was, the umbrella vendor shrugged, “so so,” he said. “Many people have their own umbrellas.”

Adrienne Weidert, who was taking in her ninth Easter parade, said she was keeping an eye on the weather. She had a straw hat made by her friend Gretchen was keeping a careful eye on them. “If they go, I go,” she said, pointing to her bonnet. “These are straw hats, They don’t do well in the rain.”