On Monday, October 9th, the 73rd Annual Columbus Day Parade will be held in New York City. The parade celebrates Italian-American heritage, culture and achievements with over 35,000 participants and over one million spectators. For the first time, the Parade will have the theme, “A Celebration of Italian-American Authors.” The theme was created by 2017 Grand Marshal, Leonard Riggio, Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc., who will be leading the Parade with over 100 Italian-American authors.
The Parade will run north up Fifth Avenue, from 47th to 72nd Street from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. This year’s honorees are Dr. Laura Forese, EVP and COO, New York-Presbyterian and Thomas Iovino, founder of Judlau Enterprises.
The Columbus Day Parade in New York City is organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the celebration of Italian heritage and the creation of opportunities for younger Italian Americans, provided through their scholarship program.
The Parade will broadcast live on WABC-TV from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Renowned broadcast journalist Maria Bartiromo, along with actor, comedian and radio host Joe Piscopo will serve as Masters of Ceremonies for the largest Columbus Day Parade held in the United States. Viewers on Fifth Avenue and watching on WABC-TV can expect to see over 100 marching groups, 25 parade floats, 35 vehicles and over 15 marching bands.
