03-03-2025
St. Patrick's Parade on Staten Island welcomes marchers
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — It's parade time again as March comes in with the band for St. Patrick's Day.
Everyone's excitement is part of the experience from the sidewalk to the street.
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Along Forest Avenue in the West Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island, crowds packed the sidewalks for the 61st annual parade.
'It's happiness and people coming together,' said John Karp standing with his mother Lillian wearing handmade crocheted hats.
Students, dancers, musicians, and representatives from groups on the Island marched and waved. The FDNY led the procession with bagpipes and fire engines.
Cheers echoed along the route for hours Sunday afternoon.
The annual Saint Patrick's Day parade has been a source of controversy, as it has excluded members of the LGBTQ+ community from marching with a banner.
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This year with a change in leadership at the organization, parade organizers welcomed the Pride Center of Staten Island and its banner.
'We cannot be erased,' said the Pride Center Executive Director Carol Bullock.
Mayor Eric Adams attended the festivities and walked with the Pride Center and a group of supporters. He and his predecessor had skipped previous parades due to the policy.
Previous parade leaders had said the banner did not belong at the parade honoring a saint.
The largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world will be held in Manhattan along 5th Avenue on Monday, March 17. It lifted the ban LQBTQ+ community and groups in 2014.
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