Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
NYC's Historic Easter Parade Will Take Place Through Online Submissions
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 11, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Lynch / Gothamist
View all 81
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 11, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This Sunday, the annual New York City Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival will not take over 5th Avenue as it has for many, many years. (The first parade dates back to the late 1800s!) Instead, the Fifth Avenue Association is asking would-be participants to post their Easter hat photos to Instagram using the hashtag #EasterOnFifth; they will then share the best bonnet moments on their website on Tuesday, April 14th.
Organizers for the event wrote: "The colorful spirit of the New York City Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival will live on this year but only with YOUR HELP! The annual event, dating back to the 1870s, was scheduled for this Sunday before being postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. In its place, we invite you to dress up in your Easter finest, strike a pose, and participate in our virtual parade..."
Click through the above gallery from the Before Times for inspiration if you want to make your own hat with whatever you've got at home (toilet paper and chickpeas?), and then check out the late great Bill Cunningham's documentation of the event right here. The NY Times notes that the New York legend "chronicled the event, which he called 'a carnival celebration of spring,' from the 1950s until the end of his life in 2016."
The parade usually takes place on 5th Avenue from around 49th Street to 57th, passing by St. Patrick's Cathedral along the way. This year, that church will livestream an Easter mass at 10 a.m. which you can watch here.
Tagged
easter parade
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .