Early Morning Prep
Woke up crazy early around 5 AM buzzing for Easter. Had planned this for weeks. Checked weather app instantly—relief seeing sunny skies predicted. Dug out pastel colored clothes from closet: mint green shirt, baby blue pants. Packed bag with essentials: water bottle, protein bars, cheap foldable stool for sitting later. Almost forgot phone charger!
The Trek into Manhattan
Grabbed subway heading towards Fifth Avenue. Car was packed with people carrying baskets and flower crowns. Overheard some moms arguing about parade start time near me. Felt train crawl painfully slow through tunnels. Got off at 59th Street station. Saw police barricades already up everywhere. Followed crowd shuffling like sleepy sheep towards parade zone.
Stakeout Spot Chaos
Tried squeezing near St. Patrick’s Cathedral but no chance—wall-to-wall people. Ended up wedged between smelly hot dog cart and giant dude with selfie stick. Stuck folding stool in microscopic gap between two families. Took twenty minutes just to unfold the dang thing! Settled in with terrible view of horse butt decorations.
Parade Highlights & Real Talk
Started hearing brass bands before seeing anything. First float had shaky papier-mâché bunny missing one ear—some kid yelled “it’s broke!”. Best parts:
- Church choir group wearing light-up sneakers rocking gospel tunes
- Guy in inflatable dinosaur costume doing awkward twist dance
- Old ladies tossing hard candy that stung when it hit your head
Got smacked in face by stray confetti cannon blast. Spent ten minutes picking glitter out of teeth. Saw three separate toddlers melt down over dropped ice cream cones. Reality? Mostly standing on numb feet watching hats bob past.
The Escape & Cheap Reward
Bailed before official ending when thunder rumbled. Ran for subway clutching stool like shield. Squeezed onto train smelling like wet wool and cotton candy. Got off near Brooklyn apartment. Trudged into corner bodega immediately. Bought giant $1.50 black and white cookie—stale but glorious. Collapsed on couch replaying weirdest moments through sticky fingers.
Final verdict: Would do it again for the free candy and chaos next year.
