A St. Patrick's Day parade that had its origin in the struggle for LGBT equality will step off in the New York City area again this March - and it deserves to be much better known by tourists and locals alike.
Not all St. Patrick's Day parades are the same. Some are so vast they shut down major thoroughfares like Fifth Avenue in Manhattan or O'Connell Street in Dublin.
Some are so modest they make up in spirit what they lack in numbers, like the Hot Springs, Arkansas parade, which marches for only 98 feet along Bridge Street.
But some parades combine both spirit and numbers like the St. Pat’s for All Parade (SPFA) in Sunnyside, Queens.
Established in 1999 to protest the long and sometimes bitter exclusion of Irish LGBT marching groups from the main parade on Fifth Avenue, it has grown in size and stature every year into what it has finally become: a full-throated expression of the immigrant spirit - a spirit even more determined than ever in 2026 to celebrate its own endurance.
The New York City Council march in the St. Pat's For All Parade.
Over time, SPFA has become the march for progressive Irish Americans and their supportive neighbors to attend, having for years found no welcome in the main parade.
It took until 2016 for shut-out Irish LGBT groups to finally be included on Fifth Avenue march, but by then the tradition of marching in the smaller but passionately inclusive parade in Queens was established.
That's why on Sunday, March 1, beginning at 1 PM at 43rd Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside, the LGBT-affirming parade will once again proceed colorfully down to 58th Street in Woodside.
Archley Prudent, co-chair of the SPFA organization (along with longtime co-chair Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy) is an African American, pro-Irish activist who has been a longtime supporter of the parade.
“I first came to St. Pat’s for All in 2009,” Prudent told IrishCentral. “I was extremely impressed by its inclusiveness. As a gay black man, I didn't quite know what to expect, but as they say, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Prudent, who first joined the Board of the organization and is now serving as its co-chair, continued: “One of the best things about St. Pat’s for All is that so many Irish and non-Irish groups march. We are marching to support our immigrants who make up the fantastic diversity that is New York City.”
FDNY members in the St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside, Queens. (Cahir O'Doherty / IrishCentral)
Former NYC Council member Daniel Dromm, a co-founder of the parade and now a Board member, added: “I have been there since SPFA’s inception, but joined the Board recently. It is wonderful that we have a co-chair that reflects the diversity of NYC.”
Almost every elected official agrees with Prudent and Dromm's statements. In recent years, the parade has hosted New York Mayors, Congress members, and Attorney Generals from the United States. Elected officials and ambassadors from Ireland also attend. Last year, St. Pat’s for All hosted the first openly gay Mayor of Belfast, Micky Murray, along with the Consul General of Ireland to New York, Helena Nolan.
The Irish government has been highly supportive of the parade, including providing funding, says Prudent. “The new Ireland is a more inclusive Ireland and, in fact, by plebiscite, approved marriage equality 10 years ago, beating the United States in granting this civil right to same sex couples.”
Prudent looks forward to continuing the traditions of the SPFA parade. “We’ll have Irish step dancing, music, and folklore, but we will also send the message that we love all our immigrant communities and encourage everyone to attend.”
Bringing both Irish parade know-how and LGBT Pride parade panache to the streets of Queens, this St. Pat's Parade is a blend of tradition and fabulousness that needs to be much better known to LGBT tourist markets.
The unexpected but eye-catching combo of marching styles and diverse participants makes this one of the most unique and fun days out on the New York City calendar. If you plan on attending, a nearby hotel for a comfortable stay is the Boro Hotel, just one close subway stop from the start of the parade.
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