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Spring is here, the sun is back in New York (finally!), and festival and parade season has begun. Whether it’s Easter, St Paddy’s, or Cinco de Mayo - there are plenty of parades and festivals taking place over the next few months, creating the perfect excuse to get out and about in the New York sunshine. 

NYC Annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival

The New York Easter Parade is a tradition that goes back to the mid-19th century and is a great way to celebrate the arrival of spring. The parade takes place on Fifth Avenue on Easter Sunday every year, welcoming crowds of 30,000 people from all over the city and the rest of the world. 

Perhaps the most important part of the parade is the bonnet festival when thousands of attendees display their homemade easter bonnets and take to the streets to show them off. There is no cost to enter the competition or parade, simply turn up at St Patrick’s Cathedral at 10 am on Easter Sunday and get involved. 

Cinco de Mayo 

While Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, it’s more widely celebrated in the USA than over the southern border - and New York is no exception. If you’re hoping to celebrate Cinco de Mayo here in New York, there are plenty of places to get involved across the city. 

Cinco de Mayo takes place on May 5th and one of the biggest events this year is the three-day festival taking place in the Stone Street District in the pedestrianized area between 85 Broad Street and Hanover Square. 

From May 3rd till May 5th you can head down to the fiesta and enjoy all your Mexican favorites - from Mariachi bands to margaritas. The festival features tents and trucks from all of your favorite Mexican restaurants, and there are plenty of mezcal, tequila, and beer-tasting events to get involved in. 

The event will start at midday and finish at midnight every day, and it’s completely free to attend - but you’ll need to pay for any food or drinks you enjoy. Kids are welcome to the festival, but organizers recommend visiting in the early afternoon before it gets “rowdy”. 

Saint Patrick’s Day Parade 

NYC’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the city’s biggest parades, taking place every year since 1762. The parade is organized by the Irish Community of New York City to honor Saint Partick and celebrate Irish culture. 

Everyone is invited to attend the event, usually attracting crowds of two million spectators to the streets of New York, while 150,000 people march in the parade itself. 

This year the parade takes place between 11 am and 4.30 pm on Saturday, March 16. Head down to Fifth Avenue to see the parade - but get there early to get a good spot, and remember there are no public bathrooms on the route! 

Are you in New York for business or pleasure this spring? The Hotel Beacon is located in the heart of the Upper West Side, just steps away from some of the city’s most popular attractions.