Since the 1870s the Easter Bonnet Parade has been one of New York City's defining events. Participants stroll up and down 5th Avenue in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where spectators come to gawk at their creations. On Easter Sunday, when the city is less populated than usual, this gathering has a small town feel. Professional and amateur milliners come to be photographed while they saunter about. Butterflies, tall feathers, and orchids can be seen bobbing through the crowds around Rockefeller Center. There is no theme and all bonnets are welcome from the political to the classic.
