Fifth Avenue will be hopping more than usual this weekend.
New Yorkers will put on their biggest and boldest hats to paint the thoroughfare like an Easter Egg on Sunday for the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival.
The colorful parade typically draws all sorts of costumed revelers, including those who take the opportunity to doll themselves up as if they were attending a posh English breakfast, and others who prefer to dress up like a wacky version of Peter Cottontail.
Following a much more solemn Way of the Cross procession across the Brooklyn Bridge for Good Friday, the annual parade is sure to be a downright hare-arious good time.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this year’s festivities.
What is the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
The annual parade first started back in the 1870s when the fashion-conscious Gilded Age elite would attend Easter mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then stroll down Fifth Avenue to show off their Sunday best, according to Times Square.
The event reached a peak in popularity after the 1948 hit movie “Easter Parade,” which saw Judy Garland’s character accept Fred Astaire’s marriage proposal during the Fifth Avenue party.
Today, it is less about the religious aspect, but still very much about the fashion, especially the hats.
Participants are encouraged to wear their own take on a bonnet, even if it means crafting one out of the soon-to-be-phased-out MetroCards.
When is the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
The Easter parade always falls on the Christian holiday, this year landing on Sunday, April 20.
The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. while Easter mass is conducted inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Once the roughly hour-long service wraps up, the procession kicks off and typically continues until 4 p.m.
Where is the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
The parade starts outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 50th Street and continues north on Fifth Avenue to 57th Street.
Can anyone participate in the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
Unlike other parades throughout the year, anyone and everyone is welcome to march down Fifth Avenue in their Sunday best.
Even pets are encouraged to participate — especially if they’re wearing their own costumes and bonnets.
What are the best places to watch the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival?
The ideal spot to catch a glimpse of the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival is right at the start: St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Otherwise, there’s no better view than right in the thick of the march.
