At St. Pat’s For All Parade, It Is Easy Being Green

By David Brand

Maybe Kermit the Frog was wrong — because at Queens’ annual St. Pat’s For All Parade, it is easy being green.

The parade celebrated its 20th anniversary on Sunday, attracting performers, community members and leaders of all ages to the route from Sunnyside to Woodside.

The first St. Pat’s For All parade was founded by LGBTQ rights activist Brendan Fay in 2000 as an inclusive alternative to St. Patrick’s Day parades in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, which prohibited LGBTQ Irish groups from participating at the time.

Twenty parades later, it has become a must-march attraction. U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Carolyn B. Maloney marched alongside Borough President Melinda Katz, State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Councilmember Daniel Dromm, who co-founded the first Queens Pride parade.

Performers from Irish step troupes and Gaelic heritage organizations marched with St. Patrick’s-themed Chinese dragons and stilt-walkers, each demonstrating the diversity that is the essence of Queens.

Eagle photos by Walter Karling