“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” so goes the saying that pretty much all Americans learn in elementary school. And on Monday, the 2018 Columbus Day Parade will sail along New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
New York’s Columbus Day Parade, organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation, bills itself as “the world’s largest celebration of Italian-American culture.”
The 2018 Columbus Day Parade in New York City marks the 74th iteration of the event. With each year the parade grows, according to the Columbus Citizens Foundation, attracting millions of viewers around the world and more than a half million spectators out in the streets of Midtown.
If you’re going to be part of the crowd, here’s what to know before you head to Fifth Avenue.
When is the 2018 Columbus Day Parade?
The NYC Columbus Day Parade 2018 is on Monday, October 8. The events are set to start at 1130 a.m., with the parade stepping off at noon from 47th Street and Fifth Avenue.
The 2018 Columbus Day Parade will feature about 35,000 marchers from 130 organizations, including bands, floats and cultural groups.
Columbus Day Parade 2018 Route, Street Closures
After kicking off from 47th Street and Fifth Avenue, the Columbus Day Parade marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 72nd Street, with “red carpet performances” on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets.
The following streets will be closed on Monday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the 2018 Columbus Day Parade, per the NYPD and the New York City Department of Transportation:
Formation
43rd Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
44th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
45th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
46th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
47th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue
Route
5th Avenue between 72nd Street and 43rd Street
Dispersal
5th Avenue between 72nd Street and 79th Street
72nd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
73rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
74th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
75th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
76th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
77th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
78th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
Miscellaneous
62nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
68th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
69th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
70th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
Vanderbilt Avenue between 43rd Street and 47th Street
How to watch the 2018 Columbus Day Parade
If you can’t make it to Midtown in person, that doesn’t mean you have to miss the Columbus Day Parade entirely.
The parade will air on WABC-TV New York from noon to 3 p.m. in a live broadcast.
