Columbus Day Parade on October 14th.

I will blog the information I know right now, but there is not alot I can tell you.  They traditionally get the info to me a week or two before and I have to guess the step off time from what division we are in.  I brought Mineola to this parade 11 times.  It is a great parade, and incredible experience however the parade is so huge that it is hard for them to set everything in stone prior to a few weeks before the parade.

The New York City Columbus Day Parade has 35,000 marchers. Over 100 groups, including bands, floats and contingents and nearly one million spectators. Last year WABC televised the parade, usually it is also nationally televised.  In the past each band pauses and performs on the red carpet but only bands who perform on the red carpet prior to 3pm have any chance to get on TV.  This is totally up to the producers, directors, commercials and if special speakers become available when your band is on the carpet, you will not be televised. 

Last year the parade marched up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 72nd Street with red carpet performances on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets. The parade usually starts at noon and ends around 6pm. Once again, any and all of this could all change, and I probably will not know until a week prior to the parade.  

We plan on going to Chinatown to eat after the parade due to the fact that it will be less crowded than where the parade is ending, and the food is better and cheaper.  After we perform we will board and change on the busses while they drive downtown.  Kids will be required to stay in the immediate area in groups of 4 or more at one of the restaurants we choose, we will give them a list.  Our itinerary will be adjusted when I have a better idea of our report time & performance time.  This is all going to be strictly a guess.  There is no way to know the parade speed of any parade, especially a huge one like this.  More info to follow and the itinerary as always will be up on roslynrehearsal.com or the last page of the website, as soon as I have it.

Right now, the report time says TBA, some time between 10am and 8pm.  This will be set when I get the itinerary.  I will adjust so that we are not actually out for all those hours.  We could start our day as early as 10am or end it as late as 8pm back in Roslyn.