NYC Parade Life

The first leg of a double parade weekend began with the 65th version of the Steuben Day Parade on 5th Avenue. All things German were celebrated along the parade route from 68th to 86th streets where revelers yodeled aloud as some excellent German marching bands made their past the iconic Metropolitan Museum. Of all the NYC parades, the Steuben is one of the most polite parades where usually the loudest parts are the brass section of the marching bands and of course the beer floats…they’re alot of fun.

The Steuben Parade celebrates the contributions made by Germans and German-Americans to America. At the reviewing stage set up on 77th and 5th Avenue, the emcees reminded the crowd that the first kindergarten school was located in Carlstadt, New Jersey. At the staging area , a youth group band called Sankt Ottilien played both the German and American national anthems as a sign of unity. The parade also honors Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben who helped retrain the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and helped America gain its Independence. This year a model replica of the Brooklyn Bridge was displayed in honor of John Augustus Roebling as the German engineer who created the masterpiece of all New York City bridges. And of course what would the Steuben be without its fair share of beer floats. Did I mention they’re the most fun part of the parade.

Groups from all over the tri-state area come to march in the parade, but the best part is when the German bands play some nice tunes up 5th Ave. Some of the more notable bands were the Jaenschwalder Brass Band and the Eggenfelden Marching Band. It was great to see a longtime tradition of The Mummers making their way up 5th Avenue with some colorful costumes and tunes. The Fanfarenzug Marching Band had the most colorful uniforms and played some uplifting tunes. A band with a modern flair was the Kobese Band. All in all it was a fun parade to witness and most marchers made their way to Central Park for the Oktoberfest for some food, music, dancing, and lots of beer of course.