Parade and other events celebrate Italian cultural heritage (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Fifth Ave. from 44th to 72nd Sts.
Monday, October 10, free, 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
www.columbuscitizensfd.org
More than one hundred groups and thirty-five thousand marchers will make their way up Fifth Ave. on Monday in celebration of the Italian heritage and the spirit of Christopher Columbus for the sixty-seventh annual Columbus Day Parade. Grand Marshal Joseph Plumeri will lead such participants as Pia Toscano, the Sacred Heart University Marching Band, the Stony Brook University Marching Band, the cast of the musical The Italian Fairy, folk dancers, and many more; past grand marshals have included Paul Sorvino, Bobby Valentine, Dan Marino, Henry Mancini, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, Yogi Berra, and Frank Capra. In addition to the centerpiece parade, there is a cultural exhibit in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall (through October 10), a wreath-laying ceremony in Columbus Circle (October 9, 9:30 – 11:00 am), a mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (October 10, 9:30 – 10:45 am), and a concert at the Rose Theater in Frederick P. Rose Hall celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification, with the Petruzzelli Theater Orchestra from Bari, soprano Marina Shaguch, tenor Massimiliano Pisapia, and Maestro Alberto Veronesi (October 9, $100-$250, 4:00).