Three of New York's biggest parades—West Indian Day, Puerto Rican Day, and the Gay Pride March—are about to get smaller. Mayor Michael Bloomberg just backed an N.Y.P.D. order that all city parades limit march times to five hours and shorten routes by 25 percent.
Each of the big three is usually longer than that, and even the quicker parades—including Macy's, with its recently revamped path—will have to shorten their routes.
N.Y.P.D. officials estimate that the cuts will save approximately $3.1 million and prevent cuts to staff and protection services.
But The New York Daily News reports some are already voicing dissent. City Councilman Domenic Recchia, who heads the Finance Committee, told the paper, "If you look at the Macy's [Thanksgiving] Day Parade, that is such an economic engine for the city, that pays for itself. We're making money off this!"
The new regulations go into effect April 1, making this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade the last to carry on as planned. To see some of the big names affected, check out the parades, walks, and holiday events in our annual list of New York's Top 100 Events.