NYC Steuben Parade 2018: Parade Route, Traffic Closures

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A celebration of the Upper East Side's German roots will take place this weekend during the annual Steuben Parade and Oktoberfest celebration. The parade traces its origins to a 1957 in the east side neighborhood of Yorkville — which was called "Germantown" at the time. Ever since that year the parade has marched up Fifth Avenue through the Upper East Side.

This year's parade will occur Saturday, Sept. 15, according to parade organizers. The parade itself will be bookended by a morning mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and an Oktoberfest in Central Park.

Whether you are interested in attending the parade or want to avoid it on Saturday here's your guide to everything you need to know about the German-American Steuben Parade this year:

What time does the parade start and end?

Pre-parade festivities begin at 9 a.m. with mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue and East 50th Street. The parade itself begins at noon and lasts until 3 p.m., according to parade organizers. A special Oktoberfest celebration will begin around 2 p.m. in Central Park's Rumsey Playfield and rage on until about 7:30 p.m.

Oktoberfest is expected to draw between 3,500 and 6,000 people and all funds go toward the Steuben Parade.

What is the route for this year's parade and will there be street closures?

The parade will be held on the Upper East Side along Fifth Avenue. Marchers will begin on Fifth Avenue at East 68th Street and will continue down the avenue until East 86th Street, according to parade organizers.

The main parade route and several side streets will be closed to traffic for the duration of the parade. Here are the closures as announced by the Nee York City Police Department

Formation:

• 68th Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue
• 69th Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue
• 70th Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue
• 67th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 71st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

Route:

• 5th Avenue between 67th Street and 86th Street

Dispersal:

• 5th Avenue between 86th Street and 88th Street
• 86th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue

Miscellaneous:

• 77th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 72nd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 78th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• Madison Avenue between 72nd Street and 67th Street
• Park Avenue between 70th Street and 68th Street

The NYPD may also close more streets if deemed necessary for safety, police said.

What's the easiest way 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 6 train to East 68th Street, the F or Q train to Lexington Avenue and East 63rd Street or the Q train to Second Avenue and East 72nd Street and walk to Fifth Avenue from one of those stations.

Who's being honored?

The grand marshal of this year's Steuben Parade are Peter Beyer, a member of the German Bundestag, and renowned architect Helmut Jahn. parade organizers said. Both men were born in Germany.

Photo by Graham Morrison/Getty Images News/Getty Images News