NYC Columbus Day Parade 2018 Guide: Parade Route, Traffic Closure

NEW YORK, NY — Fifth Avenue will be decked out in the green, white and red of il Tricolore, the flag of Italy, as New York City celebrates Columbus Day on Monday, Oct. 10. The Columbus Day parade has become one of the largest celebrations of the achievements of Italian-Americans in the country.

This year's parade is expected to draw more than one million spectators and more than 130 marching groups — including bands, floats and cultural groups — according to parade organizers. Tens of thousands of people will take the march up Fifth Avenue this year and city and state politicians such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are always safe bets to be in attendance.

The parade is organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

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Whether you are interested in attending the parade, protesting it or want to avoid it on Sunday here's your guide to everything you need to know about the Columbus Day Parade this year:

Parade start time:

Columbus Day celebrations begin with a special mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Tickets are required to enter the cathedral up until 9:15 a.m. After 9:15 a.m. the mass is open to the general public, according to the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

This year's celebration will kick of with a special ceremony at 11:30 a.m., according to parade organizers, but the actual parade won't start until noon. The parade is scheduled to last until 3 p.m.

Parade route:

The parade will begin in Midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and continue into the Upper East Side. The route begins on Fifth Avenue and 44th Street and ends at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street. There will be "red carpet performances" along the route from 67th and 69th streets, according to parade organizers.

Street closures:

The NYPD closes a number of streets during large-scale parades for safety reasons, and the Columbus Day parade will be no different.

Formation:

• 43rd Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 44th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 45th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 46th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 47th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Sixth Avenue

Route:

• Fifth Avenue between 72nd Street and 43rd Street

Dispersal:

• Fifth Avenue between 72nd Street and 79th Street
• 72nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 73rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 74th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 75th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 76th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 77th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 78th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue

Miscellaneous:

• 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue
• 68th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue
• 69th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue
• 70th Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue
• Vanderbilt Avenue between 43rd Street and 47th Street

How to get to the parade:

The easiest way to get to the parade route will be by taking public transportation, especially because most streets in the area will be closed to traffic.

The quickest way to get to the start of the parade route would be to take the B, D, F or M train to 42nd Street Bryant Park, the N, Q, R or W trains to 49th Street or the 4, 5, 6 or 7 trains to Grand Central and walk to Fifth Avenue and 47th Street from one of those stations.

Honorees:

Every year during the Columbus Day Parade several members of the Italian-American community are honored for their contributions to culture and society. This year's grand marshal will be Guy Chiarello, the president of the financial services company First Data Corporation. Past grand marshals include Regis Philbin, former New York Mets Manager Bobby Valentine, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and politicians such as Rudy Giuliani, Mario Cuomo and Al D'Amato.

"Guy Chiarello is such an esteemed leader in the technology and commerce industries – where he has been on the cutting edge for many years," Columbus Citizens Foundation President Marian Pardo said in a statement. "And his commitment to discovering and providing opportunities for the next generation of business leaders is truly commendable. The Foundation is honored to have him as our 2018 Grand Marshal."

Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images News/Getty Images News