Columbus Day Parade in NYC today. View the 2024 route map, road closures and more.

NEW YORK – New York City's annual Columbus Day Parade returns to Manhattan today, celebrating Italian-American culture.

The 80th annual parade marches through Midtown, up 5th Avenue from 42nd Street to 72nd Street. Many roads along the route will be closed.

The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. with floats, bands and other marching groups and then ends around 3:30 p.m

It will be preceded by a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and there will be road closures between Liberty Street and Battery Place on Broadway for the Columbus Day Festival.

Road closures at the 2024 Columbus Day Parade

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, these streets will be closed on parade day at the discretion of the NYPD:

Education:

• 43rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th 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 42nd Street

Dissipation:

• 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 Park Avenue
• 76th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 77th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• 78th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue

Miscellaneous:

• 51st Street between 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza
• 58th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 60th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 63rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 64th 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
• Madison Avenue between 76th Street and 68th Street

Brooklyn's Columbus Day Parade

Brooklyn's Columbus Day Parade marched through Bensonhurst on Saturday. The parade has been a tradition in the community for over 40 years.

Hundreds of people – many proudly waving Italian flags – marched up 18th Avenue, also known as Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard, to the Il Centro Community Center, New York's first Italian-American cultural center.

Columbus Day is a celebration honoring Christopher Columbus, who was born in Italy and famously discovered the so-called “New World,” now North and South America.

“It’s a celebration of the contributions of who we are. We all. And every one of us should celebrate,” said Jack Spatola, president of the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn and executive chairman of the parade.

The Brooklyn parade now represents more than just Italian culture, including “Asian Americans…Arabs, Irish, all from different backgrounds. It’s great,” Spatola said.

The federal holiday became controversial over claims that Columbus exploited and abused native peoples, leading some states to change the name to Indigenous Peoples Day.

NYC celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day

NYC is also celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day with a fifth anniversary party for the Urban Indigenous Collective, an Indigenous-led nonprofit health organization.

The event will showcase Indigenous art, music, food and traditional healing practices. It takes place from 7pm to midnight on Crosby Street in SoHo.