Every Easter Sunday,  true believers and tourists alike gather in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and along 5th Avenue to  worship the gods of creativity and fashion.

The NYC Easter Bonnet Parade 2018

I adore this Easter tradition. 5th Avenue is closed off to traffic from 47th to 57th Street and that’s the only organization there is. This isn’t what you think of when you think of a “parade”.  This event is simply New Yorkers showing up in their “Sunday Best” (a phrase open to a interpretation!) and enjoying each other’s company!

The NYC Easter Parade is people-watching and street fashion at its finest.

You can wander around the NYC Easter Parade for hours, people show up at all times from 10am-4pm. This year I only popped in for a brief hour, but even for that short period I saw so many fabulous hats and Easter outfits! Here are some of my favorites:

1. A stunning peacock hat made by (and hiding the stunning face of) Aphrodite Rose.

2/3 Easter bonnets featuring Easter Island heads wearing Easter bonnets!

4. A flower phoenix SPRINGING from winter’s ashes!

5. The mythical North American Jackalope appears in New York City for perhaps the first time ever!

6. If you stare into the eyes of this Medusa, your face turns to smiles, not stone. Or maybe this is how the mythical gorgon looks if you see here when stoned.

7. One woman single-handedly making-up spring’s late arrival with one flower-tastic hat.

8. A darling nest Proving sometimes the best bonnets come in small packages.

9. Who on earth would every think to make a spider web Easter bonnet? These fellas. So unexpected!

There are all sorts of Easter accoutrements caught in the web and even the spider is wearing a bonnet herself. The attention to detail and creativity are everything I love about this parade!

10. Such an artfully created, perfect New York cliché bonnet

11. A gorgeous golden pineapple that makes me think of the musical Cabaret and the blog Striped Pineapple!

12/13/14 A trio of rhinestoned, feathered top hats. Doesn’t get more fabulous than this!

Those are just some of my favorites. A great thing about this event is that it is not a contest! The only prizes are features in media outlets, blogs, and Instagram!

I completely failed at making a bonnet for the parade this year. Life just snuck up on me and suddenly it was April Fool’s Day and I felt like a fool! It’s fine to go to the parade without a hat, no one looks down on you… but I knew I would feel disappointed if I didn’t participate. Trust me, this parade is even more fun if you’re part of it! So I made the most last-minute bonnet imaginable. (Actually, that’s not true- it was a step up from the balloon hats sold at the parade!)

How to make a super last-minute Easter bonnet? Buy the most massive bow you can at Duane Reade and taste a Easter card to it! Bobby pin the whole thing to your hair! Voila!

My boyfriend thought I was absolutely mental as I scrambled to make this raggle-taggle on the subway.

Then we got to the parade and he was just thankful I hadn’t made one for him!

There are always cute couples (who both like to dress up) at the Easter Bonnet Parade.

Just the right balance of classy and campy.

I can’t tell if they’re dressed up as characters or just being awesome!

Full artistry from top to toe. I love it.

I always have a blast at this event and even with the chilly, gray weather, the 2018 NYC Easter Bonnet Parade did not disappoint!

What was your favorite hat? Did I pull off my last-minute bonnet, or do I just look like a dork? Do you like getting dressed up or does it stress you out? Hope you had a Happy Easter/Happy Spring!

For pictures from previous years, or to learn more about the origins of this parade, check out my very first post on this event from 2013: NYC Easter Parade: I’m All Smiles