How To: celebrate Easter in New York

Just as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" stands for Christmas time, Judy Garland and Fred Astaire's "Easter Parade" stands for Easter. This classic from 1948 will certainly be heard in the annual Easter Parade with its various floats and marching bands in New York City. Because Easter Sunday is celebrated in the streets of Manhattan. After church and the Easter egg hunt, numerous families come together on 5th Avenue. Traditionally, mothers and daughters will be designing imaginative hats for the Parade, but also playful bunnies and people in the most absurd costumes will be seen in the crowd.

The colorful Parade on Easter Sunday, March 23, can best be watched from the stages that have been especially set up around St. Patrick's Cathedral. This year again you may look forward to seeing the participant's imaginative and resourceful ideas for their headdresses. The Easter Parade begins at 10 am and will move along 5th Avenue between 49th and 57th. Celebrations will continue until about 4 pm.

Celebrate the start of spring with the biggest Easter egg party Eggstravaganza in Central Park. In addition to the usual Easter egg hunt, you will have a great choice of activities from coloring Easter eggs over a visiting the petting zoo to Easter "Make & Take" flowers and many more. Everything is free and families are welcome. (www.centralparknyc.org, 14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022, Tel. 212-794-6564)

Mascot Bella will be hopping across the Bronx Zoo in Mid-March and lead visitors to the egg hunt and many other activities. (www.bronxzoo.com, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, Tel. 718-367-1010)

Find more Easter activities for New York on www.newyork.de/index.cfm?PID=131132