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If your Sunday plans involve feathers, florals and a large hat, you’re in luck: New York City’s Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival is back this weekend, taking over Fifth Avenue with its most delightfully unhinged tradition.
Set for Easter Sunday on April 5, the annual spectacle will run from 10 am to around 4 pm, bringing thousands of New Yorkers (and camera-wielding onlookers) to Midtown for what’s more of a roaming fashion show than a parade. The route is simple: Fifth Avenue between 49th and 57th Streets, with St. Patrick’s Cathedral serving as the unofficial epicenter. That’s where you’ll find the most elaborate bonnets (and the biggest crowds) clustered on the steps and spilling into the avenue.
Unlike traditional parades, there are no floats, no marching bands and no real start or finish here. Participants just show up and stroll—and anyone can join, too. The only requirement is a bonnet, ideally one that leans more “over-the-top” than “tasteful.” (Think pastel blooms, Easter eggs and even miniature cityscapes. Nothing is off-limits here.)
The whole thing dates back to the 1870s, when well-dressed New Yorkers would promenade up Fifth Avenue after Easter services, showing off their finest spring looks. Over time, that genteel tradition morphed into something far more theatrical and ultimately more fun.
If you’re heading into Midtown, plan accordingly. The NYPD will implement rolling street closures tied to both the parade and Easter Sunday Mass, so expect the following areas to be closed at various points throughout the day:
- Fifth Avenue between 47th and 52nd Streets
- East 50th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues
- East 51st Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues
Arrive early if you want breathing room near the cathedral. By midday, it will be shoulder-to-shoulder. And if you’re just watching, don’t be shy about snapping photos—half the fun is seeing (and documenting) just how far people take it. The forecast is shaping up to cooperate, with sunny skies and temperatures around 60 degrees, making for ideal conditions for a long, leisurely strut up Fifth Avenue.
And once you’ve had your fill of hats? You’re already perfectly positioned for an Easter brunch or a spring stroll through nearby Midtown.