Easter Parades Locations Locator Map and Directory

Although celebrated worldwide, Easter in America comes with an additional tradition: the parade. Parades are mostly informal, and typically do not have much religious significance. Participants in Easter parades dress in costume, particularly decorative ladies' hats and bonnets, with the goal of impressing other participants. The most well known Easter parade is likely the one held on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Originating as a totally unorganized, spontaneous event in the 1870s, the New York parade became increasingly popular into the mid-20th century. It drew over a million people in 1947. However, its popularity has been on the decline since the 80s, drawing only 30,000 in 2008. Today, some of the largest Easter Parades are held in Richmond, New Orleans, and Toronto.