Columbus Day Parade, Closures

Today is the 64th Annual Columbus Day Parade: According to the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the parade is on Fifth Avenue, from 47th to 79th St, between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., with 35,000 marchers and over 100 bands, floats and contingents. Government offices and schools are closed; there's no mail delivery and sanitation pickup and recycling are suspended today, as is alternate-side-of-the-street parking. However, the stock market is open and many employers do not generally offer this as a holiday. Columbus Day was first celebrated in 1792, on the 300th anniversary of Columbus's voyage; more on the history of Columbus Day from the History Channel.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on October 13, 2008 8:08 AM

Columbus Day

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Let's have a holiday for Henri Cartier, the explorer that brought serious bling to this continent.

Amanda Harletsch

Genoa wasn't "italian" per se.

It is nowadays part of Italy.

Amanda Harletsch

Interesting that it is considered an ITALIAN ONLY holyday here in USA...

"The anniversary of Columbus's 1492 landing in the Americas (Columbus Day) is observed throughout the Americas and in Spain on October 12"

It is considered the hollyday of hispanic heritage in HispanoAmerica and Spain.

Dia de la Hispanidad

Colombus arrived to the islands in the caribean and then mainland southamerica coming from spain on behalf of the Spanish kings, yes he was an Italian explorer freelancer or mercenary paid by the Spanish crown.

We can reduce it here to a italian thing...but in the rest of America has a way more inclusive meaning.

JacqueMehoff

it's a floating holiday at my place only one Italian guy took the day off.

Clarice City

Such a stupid holiday...I remember my middle school teacher telling us that there was some argument among historians as to whether or not he was even Italian. And he didn't even really discover the new world first. So....why waste a holiday on this guy?

ides_of_march

Name the day after a different explorer every year. I'm partial to Henry Hudson myself.

Steven

Another weird holiday. Some colleges are closed today too.

WesleySnipesAlot

"They would make fine servants ... with fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want."--Columbus, in his log, upon first meeting the Arawak Indians on Hispanola.

Kojak

Just the Bond market is closed today.

Bah what a waste of a holiday. Just rename it Italian Heritage day and be done with it.

Mr Mel

Nobody got the Columbus first voyage right. There were 4 ships not 3.

KiljoyWasHere

Trains running on a weekend schedule and commuters running on a weekday schedule is ridiculous. Happy Columbus Day.

Toby von Meistersinger

If you want to celebrate something today it is Thanksgiving in Canada.

Otherwise it is just a day to get pissed off because you can't get mail, go to the post office or get government services. Columbus Day needs to be eliminated since nothing except some governmental functions stop. UPS and FedEx are delivering as normal since people are actually at work. The markets are open and trains are running on a normal schedule. The stupid parade just screws us all over with police overtime, sanitation overtime, and street closures on a work day. If you want to have your stupid parade have it on the weekend like everyone else!