Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade to mark a historic first this Sunday

The Staten Island St. Patrick's Day Parade will step off this Sunday, March 2.

Following years of controversy, this year will be the first time that the Pride Center of Staten Island, Staten Island’s LGBTQIA+ community center, is permitted to walk under its own banner.

“We’re happy to have the Pride Center marching with us,” Edward Patterson, the new chairman of the parade committee, told SILive.com this week.

“Our focus remains on St. Patrick and the culture, traditions, history, and faith of the Irish people.

"We’re proud to have the Pride Center because they are part of the community.”

The parade committee told SILive that over 80 groups have signed up to be part of the parade, an increase of about 30 groups from last year's parade.

“We are excited,” Carol Bullock, the executive director of the Pride Center of Staten Island, also told SILive.

“I think about people like Jim Smith [known as Staten Island’s ‘father of gay pride,’ who died in 2020], who came way before me, and I wish he was here.

"It’s really going to be great.”

The parade is just one of the major St. Patrick's Day events happening on Staten Island on Sunday. 

The traditional Jerome O’Donovan Pre-Parade Breakfast will take place at Jody’s Club Forest at 11 am. The event was canceled in 2023 when parade organizers continued to exclude the Pride Center, and was rescheduled last year to coincide with the inclusive parade that was initiated by the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District (BID).

District Attorney Michael McMahon, one of the breakfast organizers, told SILive this week: “It is with great pride and joy that we look forward to this Sunday’s festivities, recognize the tireless efforts it took to reach this monumental day, and celebrate the future of Staten Island marching together as one borough.

"The Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade allowing LGBTQIA+ groups to march is an important win for Staten Islanders of all identities, and we are ecstatic that this day will represent a united Staten Island moving forward."

The Forest Avenue Mile Run - unofficially dubbed the 'Rainbow Run' in years past due to the Pride Center's exclusion - is also set to go ahead on Sunday. 

KC Hankins, organizer of the Rainbow Run and a Pride Center volunteer, told SILive.com: “This year, many of us are going to be running in that run again, making sure that we are still seen as LGBTQ Islanders.

“And this year will be a little bit more of a celebration that we’re allowed to march in the parade. So we’ll be running down the parade route, and then we’ll be turning around and running back up to be able to march in the parade.”

When is the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2025?

The parade will step off at 12:30 pm on Sunday, March 2.

Where is the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2025?

According to SILive, the parade begins at Forest Avenue and Hart Boulevard and proceeds along Forest Avenue to Jewett Avenue, at which time floats will proceed down Jewett Avenue toward Port Richmond, while cars will depart on Jewett toward Egbert Avenue.

Marchers will exit the parade route on Jewett Avenue toward the Staten Island Expressway.

Who are the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade's guests of honor?

Noreen Hansen is the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Staten Island St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The aides to the Grand Marshal are Cynthia Donnelly, Diane Gruberger, Barbara Shields, and Brian Walsh.

The inaugural businessman of the year is Jack LiGreci.