Cheers! St. Patrick's Day Parade Is Today!

(any.nyc's flickr).

What a beautiful day for a parade! The skies are clear and the temperature is up and starting at 11 a.m. an estimated 200,000 marchers are expected to walk behind grand marshal Mary Higgins Clark, Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly from 44th Street to 79th Street in the 250th annual St. Patrick's Day parade (it won't be going up to 86th because of budget cuts). Thanks to the warm weather millions of people are expected to watch the parade in person, on WNBC or streaming online here.

Not that everyone is happy about the parade. The group Irish Queers, angry that gay groups are still verboten in the annual march in honor of the Catholic saint, is holding a protest on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. This year they are specifically calling out Ray Kelly and the NYPD for their involvement contending that "NYPD participation in such a parade is a violation of New York City's human rights code."

Are you going to play hookie for the parade? Or just planning on barhopping like an "inebriated Irish" in a "Kiss Me I'm Irish" shirt? Don't forget to take photos and send them our way, either to photos@gothamist.com or by tagging them "Gothamist" on Flickr!

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

By Garth Johnston in Arts & Entertainment on March 17, 2011 9:15 AM

Comments [rss]

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

It's gonna be crazy today.The bars must love it. Well, the money, at least.

ktinnyc

The owners love it but even the bartenders hate the day. It's a total amateur night

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

Oh, I know. A friend used to bartend at Dublin House. He does not look happy on St. Patrick's day.

Guest

Exactly. This day, along with NYE, is a bartenders' bread and butter, but it's moldy bread and margarine, so it's a love/hate thing.

ktinnyc

I think St. Patrick's day is even worse than NYE. At least on NYE there is some point of being out which is celebrating the New Year but St. Paddys day is just for drinking. Plus, today, you get so many more douchebags that "pre-game" so you get fewer people paying for drinks with just as many headaches.

Communist

They should have St. Boris day for Russian Land not this puny holiday

Guest

Are you really a communist, or do you just play one on the Internet?

ktinnyc

He's not a communist, this is just Aleksey/Communist's new schtick. He's just a troll looking for attention.

Communist

KtinNyc how is your art degree working out for you? In mother land we make fun of you and woman and children alike look down upon you for such failure.

Back in the day of the great USSR we deport you to Siberia where you can express artistic believe with polar bear.

ktinnyc

I don't have an art degree but the degree I have is working out fine, thanks. How's you're degree working out for you? Oh, wait, you don't have a degree. You went to a second rate high school in Brooklyn and now can only afford a 20 year old car. Boo Hoo.