Easter parade

The Easter parade is an American cultural event consisting of a promenade on Easter Sunday. Typically, it is an informal and unorganized event. The parade is most closely associated with Fifth Avenue in New York City, but smaller parades are often held in other cities. Persons participating in an Easter parade traditionally dress in fine new clothing, particularly ladies' hats, and strive to show it off to others. Starting as a spontaneous event in the 1870's, the New York parade became increasingly popular into the mid-twentieth century—in 1947, it was estimated to draw over a million persons. By 2000 its popularity had declined significantly, drawing only 30,000 people in 2008.