On an unusually warm day in Queens, energetic crowds lined the streets of Woodside and Sunnyside for the annual St. Pat’s for All Parade.
Community members, elected officials, local organizations, and others celebrated Irish culture and heritage in an inclusive sea of green colors. As usual, the festivities featured an opening ceremony before participants stepped off from 43rd Street & Skillman Ave.
This year’s St. Pat’s for All parade was led by two grand marshals: Dennis J. Brownlee, the founder and president of the African American Irish Diaspora Network, and Geraldine Hughes, a Northern Irish film, TV, and stage actress. The event is supported by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs via the Emigrant Support Programme, according to the St. Pat’s for All website.
This year marked the 25th annual edition of St. Pat’s for All, which was first held in 2000 as an inclusive alternative to other exclusionary St. Patrick’s Day events in the city. Another LGBTQ-inclusive march, the Forest Avenue St. Patrick’s Day in Staten Island, is slated to take place for the first time on March 17.
See some early pictures below. Look out for additional, comprehensive coverage of St. Pat’s for All in Gay City News.
