Join Us At The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade!

CENTRAL WATCH

45th Street Passageway

Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY

212-685-1689 / CentralWatch.com

The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of our city’s greatest traditions, marching for the first time on March 17, 1762 - fourteen years before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Today it is the largest parade in the world!

The first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York was held on lower Broadway in 1762 by a band of homesick Irish ex-patriots and Irish military who served with the British Army stationed in the American colonies.  For the first few years of its existence, the parade was organized by military units. After the War of 1812, the Irish fraternal and beneficial societies took over the duties of hosting and sponsoring the event.

Originally, the Irish societies joined together at their respective meeting places and moved in a procession toward Old St. Patrick's Cathedral in Lower Manhattan on Mott & Prince Streets, where the Archbishop of New York would address the crowd before revelers dispersed to celebrate.

The Parade starts at 44th Street at 11:00 am this Saturday, March 17^th!

The parade marches up Fifth Avenue past St. Patrick's Cathedral at 50th Street all the way up past the American Irish Historical Society at 83rd and the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 83rd Street to 86th Street, where the parade finishes at around 4:30 - 5:00 pm.

Your best bet is to leave your cars at home and take an MTA train or bus to New York City to join the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. If you’re coming in through Grand Central Terminal, be sure to stop by your friends at Central Watch in the 45^th Street Passageway!

Some of the best viewing spots are on the upper steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which provide a great view. Another great spot to get a close-up view of the marchers is on 86^th street where is the end spot for the parade where all marchers disperse to continue celebrating the day.

Are you planning on attending this year’s  St. Patrick’s Day Parade? Tell us on the Central Watch Facebook wall linked here.