I have a dream… NYC, honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day of service. Check out one of the events around the city in his memory.
Tag Archives: parade
Rose Parade
Bring in the New Year with the locals at the annual Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. Originating in 1890, the parade was started to show off California’s beautiful climate and it will still be sunny this year. They’ll be elaborate floral floats, musical performances, marching bands and even a Rose Queen. After the parade the fun continues with the Rose Bowl football game.
http://www.tournamentofroses.com/
5. Spring Celebration & Easter Parade April 4
The Union Street Spring Celebration and Easter Parade is not your average Street Fair or holiday parade. With everything from roller-blading, cows, and creative self-propelled mini-floats to garden areas, sophisticated fashions, and beautiful classic and art cars, it’s a special event for the entire family.
The 19th annual event celebrates and showcases the diverse community of San Francisco and features some of Union Street’s best restaurants serving attendees in an outdoor bistro setting. A variety of children’s and family activities are the focus of the event and include: large inflatable bounces, kids’ rides and games, a climbing wall, a hands-on children’s activities area, costumed characters, a petting zoo, pony ride and entertainment from some of the Bay Area’s best musicians.
1. Dallas’ St. Patty’s Day Parade is like Mardi Gras March 13
Now in its 31st year, the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade is so large and so crazy that it’s billed as “Dallas’ version of Mardi Gras.” And with a comparison like that, you know it has to be huge: celebrities, thousands of participants and lots of surprises.
With 100,000 people expected in attendance, over 1,500 people will march down the two-mile route with grand floats, outrageous costumes and tons of party spirit. Every year celebrity judges decide what float and what group gets the honor of awards like “Best of the Best” and “Most Irish Animal.”
After the parade, the fun doesn’t stop, as the official after-party begins at the Granada Theater and lasts all night long.
1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival March 13
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than to spend it at an exciting parade and festival? This year marks the 158th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco, which draws huge attendees from all different demographics and ethnicities. With historic ties to the city, this is the parade that you must see if you are in the area, with more than 5,000 participants from all over the country.
After the parade, enjoy the events at the Festival, including live performances and entertainment, arts and crafts exhibitors, food and beverage concessions, children’s rides and inflatables, cultural displays, a petting zoo and pony rides, and a number of non-profit booths representing the Irish community. Many of these events showcase Irish culture and history, so everyone can learn a thing or two.
1. Atlanta’s Awesome St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 13
There’s not better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta than attending a parade, especially when that parade will be the largest and best attended St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival since the first was held is 1858. The 2010 Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade will be comprised of over 200 elements, including clowns, military units, bagpipers & drum corps, Irish dancers, high tech firefighting equipment, police units, drill teams, dogs, horses, antique cars, dignitaries from Ireland and local government leaders. Not to mention the thousands of fresh faced on lookers who are sure to be lining the streets.
After a day of events throughout the city the parade ends at Fabulous Underground Atlanta with vendors, food and free entertainment, which should result in plenty of music, dancing and drinking.
1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade Boston Style March 14
It’s hard to find a city richer in Irish heritage than Boston, which is why it’s a great place to spend St. Patrick’s Day. To kick it off join the estimated 600,000 people expected to turn out for this year’s 109th St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. This three-hour celebration will feature floats, dozens of local marching bands, and pipe bands from Ireland and across the United States. The groups will assemble at the Broadway MBTA station and then march their way through the city finishing in Andrew Square.
A little insider tip, the best place for viewing the parade is to head out early and stake out some nice turf along Broadway.
2. Everyone’s Irish at St. Patty’s Day Parade March 17
Every oth
er city has their St. Patrick’s Day Parade situated nicely on the weekends, but in New York, they shut down the streets of New York to party in the middle of the week! On Wednesday March 17, the self-proclaimed oldest (since 1762), biggest and best St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the WORLD takes over Manhattan. Starting at 44th street and moving uptown on 5th Avenue, the parade passes landmarks like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the American Irish Historical Society before ending at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 86th Street and 5th Avenue.
The parade is always a loud and lively event, and regardless of your nationality, a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” pin will always be greeted with a warm reception here!
3. Shamrockin’ St. Patty’s Day Parade March 13
For nearly 50 years- 48 to be exact- Denver has been celebrating the Irish holiday of St. Patrick’s Day with a big ol’ parade. This year’s theme is Shamrockin’ and every event and celebration will have an element of homage to Ireland’s contribution to the music scene. Case and point: the parade’s Grand Marshals will be the highly-acclaimed Irish foursome The Bridies.
Not only is this a rockin’ theme, Denver is home to one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation with over 10,000 marchers, 230 entries and nearly 200,000 attendees!
3. 240 Years of St. Patrick’s Day Celebration March 14
Join in on one of the longest running St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. The first documented St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Parade in Philadelphia was held in 1771, celebrating over 240 continuous years of celebrations. And throughout those years this festivity has honored the cultural traditions and historic significance of the Irish, both in America and abroad.
With the theme “St. Patrick, model of unity for the church and the world,” the parade will featuring thousands of marchers and dozens of bands and floats, highlighted by flags and traditional Irish music this years parade is sure to be one of note.
4. Lion Dancing & Firecrackers for the Chinese New Year Feb. 14
It’s the year of Tiger in 2010, which means that it’s going to be fiery year. Start it of with the New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival- one of the few days a year you can legally set off firecrackers and rockets in Manhattan. Along with the amazing explosions will be lion dances, drumming, and giveaways/contests of traditional Chinese New Year items. After the Firecracker Ceremony, make sure to join in on the festival parade through the streets of Chinatown.
1 The Marade: The Largest MLK Celebration in U.S. 1/18/10
Other cities have Martin Luther King parades, but in Denver, they have a marade. One part march, one part parade, the annual MLK Marade is one of the largest celebrations of the civil rights leader- even beating out Washington D.C.!
One of the coolest aspects about this celebration is that everyone can join. Participants just have to meet at memorial at City Park at 9am, the marade begins at 10, and after reaching the Civic Center Park everyone is served cake.
The Marade is both in the spirit of MLK’s nonviolent change and of sweet celebration.
3. Tournament of Roses: Rose Parade & Rose Bowl 1/1/10.
The Tournament of Roses is so big that it’s broken into two major events, with each having their own n
ickname. The Rose Bowl Parade is affectionately known as “America’s New Year’s Celebration” and the Rose Bowl Game as “The Grandaddy of Them All.” Celebrating the culmination of the college football season, the Tournament of Roses brings together the top of the Big Ten and Pacific-10 teams and is consistently the highest attended football game.
If you’re not a fan of football, but still want to celebrate, the Parade is an internationally televised event featuring universally loved floats, marching bands, and celebrities. So get up and smell the Roses!
3. Transport Yourself at Art Deco Weekend 1/15 – 1/17/10
There’s just something about the open road that fills people with passion: top down, seats back, wind in your face, m
usic blaring, and no deadlines. This paints the picture of the American Dream: Freedom. The 33rd Annual Art Deco weekend invites you to participate in celebrating the technology of transportation, because without it, this fantasy could have never become reality.
Art Deco Weekend was started in ’76 to raise awareness and appreciation of the arts and culture of the Arts Deco Era (1925 – 1945). The events of this year’s weekend celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Antique Automobile Club of America will include, a film series, theatrical performances, dance performances, a Saturday morning parade, and many more.
4. Venetian Holiday in Long Beach 12/19/09
You don’t have to go to Venice to enjoy a well-decorated, romantic
canal. Kick start the holiday season by taking a stroll along the canals of Naples Island, where people take pride in decorating their homes that line the water. Better yet, take a romantic gondola ride to view them in style.
On December 19th, people line the bridges and streets to view the small boat parade. The larger vessels that don’t fit in the canals can be viewed from the 2nd Street Bridge and along Alamitos Bay Marina. Throughout the holiday season, Naples Island in Long Beach is a sure bet for taking in the holiday spirit.