St. Patrick's Day Parade brings Irish spirit and celebration to New York City
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Two million spectators packed the streets of Midtown for the beloved and longstanding New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Tuesday.
The procession made its way up to 79th Street on Fifth Avenue, bringing bagpipes, marching bands and plenty of Irish cheer.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch marched, joining more than 150,000 people that participated in the parade.
His presence at the St. Patrick's Day Parade was notable. As a candidate he said he'd skip many parades in favor of other mayoral work.
"I am incredibly appreciative of the privilege to lead a city where Irish Americans have played such a critical role ... We know when it comes to the building of this city, the skyscrapers that pierce the clouds, the tunnels that carve through bedrock, so much of that was built by Irish hands," Mamdani said. "And when we celebrate Irish Americans, we also celebrate the solidarity that they ... as well as the people of Ireland, have brought to the world."
The city's first Muslim mayor is also the first to be elected without winning a majority of Catholic and Jewish voters.
He skipped the installation of Cardinal Hicks as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. But Mamdani sat down with Archbishop Hicks on Monday, saying, "it was truly a joy to get a chance to sit with him and celebrate the fact that both of us are beginning our leadership journeys at roughly the same time here in New York City."
Almost every mayor at some point in their time in office has been booed at this parade. From what Eyewitness News observed, the mayor was showered with cheers along the parade route.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also reflected on her Irish background at the St. Patrick's celebration.
"Beautiful day, top of the mornin' to ya, Kathleen Mary Corkland Hochul from County Kerry, and my relations back home are so proud when they think of the journey from my grandparents just two generations ago leaving as impoverished teenagers who came here for a better life," Hochul said. "As the first Irish governor in 40 years its long overdue."
The 2026 Grand Marshal was Robert James McCann, who serves as the board chair of the Irish Arts Center, working to strengthen cultural and civic ties between Ireland and the U.S.
Parade history
New York City hosts one of the largest and oldest St. Patrick's Day parades in the United States. The celebration is now in its 265th year, with the first parade dating back to 1762. That's 14 years before the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
The parade's first year, 1762, "was a time when the wearing of green was a sign of Irish pride but was banned in Ireland. In that 1762 parade, participants reveled in the freedom to speak Irish, wear green, sing Irish songs and play the pipes to Irish tunes that were meaningful to the Irish immigrants of that time," parade organizers explained.
Groups from all over the world come to participate, as well as local first responder groups, high school marching bands and more.
You can learn more about the St. Patrick's Day Parade here.
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