2016 Easter Parade: Bonnets
Last year I went to the Easter Parade for the first time and it was so much fun I think I've decided to make it an annual tradition. The parade—which isn't really a parade in the traditional sense—started in the 1870s with people congregating on Fifth Avenue after Easter mass let out. It definitely seems as if there are more photographers now than actual participants, and it can be quite a zoo, but it's still a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
I saw a few direct repeats from last year, including the guy with the carrot cigar and a pretty busted-looking Easter bunny, but most of what we saw was new. Some people take the traditional egg/basket/bunny ears approach, some get political and some just get downright weird.
Gatherings like this are prime spots for the type of person who has a wizard costume gathering dust in their apartment—while not seasonally appropriate or anywhere near "on theme," I have to give people credit for being creative and weird.
We saw less dogs this year than last, unfortunately, but still enough to warrant their own separate post. As with any creative showcase, my favorites were the ones that clearly took time and thought. There was a group of people with New York-themed bonnets that were really extraordinary, but the crowd around them was so overwhelming that we couldn't stay near them as long as I would have liked. I've already decided that I'm not only going to go to the Easter Parade again next year, but I think it's finally time that I get serious and participate.
