2014 Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue

They are some of the participants in this year's Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival. The area along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets was closed to vehicular traffic for this festival.

2011 Annual Easter Parade And Easter Bonnet Festival

Lego ferris wheel

Emmy Award winning actor Leslie Jordan ("Will and Grace") promoting his new Off-Broadway Musical, "Lucky Guy"

Easter bonnets, ranging from elegant to outrageous took center stage in today's spectacle that is the Annual Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets. An event in which there is no such thing as proper or improper chapeaux, the Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival began at 10 AM and ended at about 4 PM. According to Midmanhattan.com, the tradition dates back to the middle of the 19th century, "when the social elite would attend services at one of the 5th Avenue churches and parade their new fashions down the Avenue afterwards."

2010 Easter Bonnet Parade/Festival on Fifth Avenue

The Easter Parade/Festival on Fifth Avenue has been an annual tradition in New York. This morning, I took photos of some of my favorite bonnets/costumes. Unlike most New York City Parades, the Easter Parade is a far less organized event, without floats or marching bands. It is a great spectacle, nonetheless. The section of  Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets was closed to vehicular traffic from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for this colorful event.