St. Patrick's Day Parade in Queens - Woodside and Sunnyside

Queens boasts two great St. Patrick's Day Parades. The St. Pat's for All in Sunnyside and Woodside is smaller, but has gotten a lot more press. The other parade in the Rockaways has a longer history and a lot more bagpipes. Learn more about the parade in the Rockaways.

• St. Patrick's Parade in Sunnyside - Sunday, March 3, 2013
• Queens County St. Patrick's Parade in the Rockaways - March 2

The Queens neighborhoods of Woodside and Sunnyside are home to lots of recent and older Irish immigrants, and are the stomping grounds of a parade every St. Patrick's Day, known as St. Pat's for All. In the words of organizer Brendan Fay, it's "small, spirited, and inclusive."

• St. Pat's For All
• Sunday, March 3, 2013, 2 p.m. kick-off

• Parade Route: Starts at 47th St and Skillman Ave in Sunnyside >> East on Skillman >> Ends at 58th St and Woodside Ave.

Weekend service on the #7 subway should be running as normal. There had been problems on-and-off this year and last, but they should be okay by the parade weekend.

• Check - MTA #7 Service Advisory

Take the 7 subway to 40th Street (or 46th St/Bliss) and walk toward 43rd St and north toward Skillman (2 blocks north of the 7 at Queens Blvd).

• Parade Theme: "Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally."

• Expected to March: TBD. Usually: Mayor Bloomberg, Congressman Joe Crowley, NYC City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and more local politicians.

• Honoree: TBD

• Marching/Performing: Puppet art group, local community groups, and the Keltic Dreams dancers.

• Post Parade Celebration: Saints & Sinners at 60th Street and Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, after parade

The Queens St. Patrick's Day Parade is a high-spirited, but real local affair. Started in response to the rejection of Irish gay and lesbian marchers by the much bigger Manhattan parade, it has grown in prominence over the years.

It's held weeks earlier than the Manhattan parade, which makes it a great warm-up for the bigger parade. But many prefer the Sunnyside version because it is less crowded, less touristy, and a neighborhood event (and because of the great local pubs).

A big plus for the Queens St. Patrick's Day Parade is the concentration of fine Irish pubs in the area, often thronged by recent immigrants from Ireland. The parade's post-party is at Saints & Sinners.

• Donovan's Pub, 57-24 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, 718-429-9339
• Sean Og Tavern, 60-02 Woodside Ave, Woodside, 718-899-3499
• Saints & Sinners, 59-21 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, 718-396-3268
• Maggie Mae's, 41-15 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside, 718-433-3067
• Grand Stand Pub, 85-35 Grand Ave, Elmhurst, 718-478-9633
• O'Neill's, 64-21 53rd Dr, Maspeth, 718-672-9696
• Matchmaker, 58-14 61st St, Maspeth, 718-565-7383
• Woodhaven House, 63-98 Woodhaven Blvd, Rego Park

St. Patrick's for All - Sunnyside Parade

St. Patrick's Parade & Irish Fair
c/o 22-22 28th St
Astoria NY 11105
718-721-2780 www.stpatsforall.com
e-mail: info@stpatsforall.com