Freezing temperatures couldn’t chill the warm sense of pride pride that spectators and participants alike felt during Sunday’s St. Pat’s for All Parade through the streets of Sunnyside and Woodside.
The 18th-annual march has grown into one of the city’s largest public celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, the feast of Ireland’s patron saint which is celebrated on March 17. Two grand marshals — television talk show legend Phil Donahue and human rights advocate Anastasia Somoza — led the March 5 parade that stepped off from the corner of Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside.
An array of elected officials — including a large City Council contingent led by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito — and LGBT groups participated in the festivities. The St. Pat’s for All Parade was started in 2000 as an alternative to the Manhattan St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which at the time banned LGBT groups from marching under their banners.
Community groups including Girl Scout troops and political clubs also took part in the parade, as did a number of entertainers including Irish dancers and the Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps.
Check out some of the sights from this year’s march below:
