On Sunday, March 30, New York City’s iconic Fifth Avenue was filled with thousands of Greek-Americans and others celebrating the traditional Greek Independence Day parade. Participants proudly waved the blue-and-white Greek flag, marking the culmination of a weekend-long celebration commemorating 204 years since the start of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Turks.
This year’s Grand Marshals included General Andrew Poppas, the first Greek American four-star general in the U.S. Army, along with Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras—the birthplace of the Greek War of Independence—and Evangelos Marinakis, a businessman and President of Olympiacos Soccer Team, which is celebrating its centennial this year.
The Honorary Marshals featured acclaimed actor, director, and screenwriter Christophoros Papakaliatis, known for creating the hit TV series “Maestro,” alongside three-time Olympic champion Pyrros Dimas.
Gathered along the renowned avenue were Greek Americans of all generations, undeterred by the gray skies and chilly weather, cheering and radiating pride for their Greek heritage as each group marched by. Among the crowd were many children representing the youngest generation of Greek Americans, with boys donning traditional Evzonas outfits (also known as tsolias) and girls in beautiful dresses from various regions of Greece.
According to the New York Police Department, this year’s parade, which commenced with the Greek flag from the Acropolis and a ceremonial contingent of Evzones (Presidential Guard), was one of the largest in recent years. More than 120 groups participated, featuring 52 floats and 15 bands that made their way up Fifth Avenue from 64th to 79th Streets. The parade included federations, societies, associations, schools, churches, and religious communities from the New York Metropolitan Area, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Montreal, Canada.
The largest Greek parade in America attracted a variety of distinguished guests, including Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris from Greece to the United Nations, and Aikaterini Nassika, Greece’s Ambassador to the United States. Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were also present, along with several state officials, including senators and members of Congress.
Additionally, notable guests from Greece joined the festivities, such as Nikos Androulakis, President of PASOK-KINAL, and MPs Andreas Katsaniotis of Nea Dimokratia and Vasilis Kokkalis of Syriza, as well as various Greek mayors and regional governors who traveled to participate in the parade.
The annual Greek parade is organized by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, with General Chairman Philip Christopher at the helm of a thirty-five-member committee. For the second consecutive year, the event was streamed live.
The yearly Greek parade honoring Greek Independence Day, which started in 1938.
The annual event, which celebrates Hellenic identity, culture, and achievements globally, has been organized since 1938 by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, a non-profit dedicated to promoting appreciation for Greek-American heritage.
Years prior, parades honoring the Greek War of Independence were typically held in Queens rather than Manhattan. Obtaining the necessary permit to host the parade on Fifth Avenue—where New York City’s largest ethnic groups, such as Italians, Irish, and Jews, also celebrate—is regarded as one of the significant accomplishments of the Greek community in New York.
The parade marked the conclusion of a weekend-long celebration for Greek Independence Day, which began on Friday, March 28, with the raising of the Greek flag at Bowling Green Park in Manhattan. Before the flag-raising ceremony, a doxology service was conducted at St. Nicholas, led by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who was joined by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras. Greek-American singer Evangelia performed the national anthems of the United States and Greece prior to the flag being hoisted during the ceremony.
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On Saturday, March 29, the Independence Parade Gala took place in honor of this year’s Grand Marshals. During the Greek Independence Day Parade in New York, participants also carried banners advocating for justice following the tragic train accident in Tempi. These powerful messages called for accountability and emphasized the importance of preventing such tragedies in the future. The display of solidarity underscored the strong bond between the Greek-American community and their ongoing fight for justice in Greece.