Praying For Success
In the first leg of a parade weekend, the warmer weather brought out thousands of revelers to Liberty Ave. in Richmond Hills, Queens to celebrate the ancient festival of Holi. Previous celebrations had coincided more with the actual dates in mid-March but colder weather in previous years left the parade with few attendees. It was a good decision by parade organizers to move it forward to mid-April where the chances of better weather would allow for a better experience. Richmond Hills, Queens is home to the largest population of Caribbean-Hindi descent. Holi has been celebrated in India and Nepal for over a thousand years and is a National holiday. It is a festival of the arrival of spring. It’s a time to get rid of the winter blahs and anticipate the blast of colors coming soon. It’s also a celebration of good vs. evil as a story of Vishnu is remembered.
Getting the Parade Started
Feel The Rainbow
Dancer Getting the Crowd Worked Up
As usual, there is a ceremonial dance prior to the start of the parade, wishing for a successful event. Then the NYPD Marching Band kicked things off letting parade revelers know things were about to get started. They were soon followed by a group of drummers to get the crowd worked up in front of Singh’s restaurant for a day of celebration. A line of colorful floats from the various mandirs of the area keeps the flow of the parade moving down the parade route to Smokey Park where the festival continued. A stage was set up for performers and the park was open for friends and family to spread the color all around. It’s a fun parade that has been getting more attention from outside the community. The parade is a good addition to your bucket list as long as you don’t mind turning into a rainbow of colors by perfect strangers. Happy Holi.
NYC Parade Life 