Sea of green in NYC as St. Patrick's Day Parade returns

A sea of green descended on New York City on Thursday as the nation’s largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parade returned in full for the first time since COVID-19 shut it down two years ago.

Thousands of people braved the rain and lined 5th Avenue as the parade kicked off at 11 a.m., while Irish bars across the city quickly filled up. 

“This is the best thing that happened to us in two years,” said Mike Carty, the owner of Rosie O’Grady’s pub in the Theater District. “We need the business and this really kicked it off.”

The full-fledged return of the Irish celebrations is the first major parade to be held in the Big Apple since the city reopened and dropped its major mask and vaccination rules.

When the pandemic unleashed in March 2020, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was among the first major NYC events to be canceled — marking the first time in the parade’s history that it was shut down.

“Psychologically, it means a lot,” Sean Lane, the chair of the parade’s organizing group, said of the parade’s return. “New York really needs this.”

Starting at 44th Street, the parade route marched the 35 blocks up 5th Avenue to 79th Street — past St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Central Park. Road closures were in place around 5th Avenue from 43rd Street to 84th Street.

The parade was being broadcast by NBC4 and livestreamed on the NYC St. Patrick’s Parade website for those who couldn’t make it in person.

Revelers along the parade route, including some who traveled interstate just for the occasion, were dressed in green and waving Irish flags.

For 17-year-old Patrick Marzella, it was good to be back in the Big Apple after the pandemic. 

“It’s my first time in the city in three years, and this is a really awesome way to do it. St Patrick’s is a really awesome time. I’m loving it,” the Westchester County teen told The Post.

Sarah Wright, who traveled from Austin, Texas with her husband and two sons, said not even the drizzly weather would have stopped them.  

“It’s just so incredible to be out after so many years after it got canceled and just feel the energy in the air and the New York spirit,” she said. “It’s a great place to be on a great day. It’s definitely worth it to be out here despite the weather.” 

Amanda Clark, who had planned to travel from Iowa to NYC for the 2020 parade, told The Post she was ecstatic to finally make it happen this year.

“We are very excited to be here and celebrate, have some fun, lighten up a bit,” Clark said. “[Two years ago] everything was canceled, so we couldn’t even come to New York. We’re just very excited to be outside.”

Forced to cancel in 2020 and 2021, the parade’s organizers had quietly held smaller processions on St. Patrick’s Day around sunrise when the streets of Manhattan were empty.

This year, organizers were expecting hoards of people as the parade finally returned to normal.

The organizers were hoping people would turn out, not just to commemorate the holiday, but to also honor the first responders who helped the Big Apple get through the pandemic.

The parade observed a moment of silence at 12 p.m. in dedication to the city’s COVID victims and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

With Post wires