Happening today, a quarter million marchers will head up Fifth Avenue taking part in the annual St Patrick's Day Parade.
And another two million people will be watching along the route. Right now a special pre-parade breakfast is getting under way in Midtown. CBS News' John Dias joins us live with more on that and what's ahead today. Hi John!
Zinni and Mary good morning both of you, I haven't had breakfast yet, so all this smells and looks just so delicious. Take a look right here behind me we are live here at Pig and Whistle, Irish pub in Midtown Manhattan, where as you mentioned, this is where the official kick-off of the parade will be at 6:30 this morning, so about an hour from now, our farm and policemen as well as other local politicians, and really anyone can make their way out here for this breakfast. Again, 6:30, right before ah the parade. They got some Irish bacon they're making right now, and scrambling up some eggs, it does look delicious. Now, take a look here though, this is video from last year's parade. Today's parade, well, it begins at precisely 11 o'clock in the morning, and its expected that around two hundred thousand people will be marching this year, with two million watching from the sidelines, celebrating Irish heritage. The parade marches up Fifth Avenue, beginning at East 44th Street, and ends at 79th Street. Today's parade is the oldest and largest St Patrick's Day Parade in the world. It is bigger than any parade in Ireland. And listen to this: the first parade here in New York City was back on March 17th of 1762. Fourteens years before the signing of the United States Declaration of Independance. So this is the two hundredth and sixty second time that they're doing this. Impressive stuff. Now the Grand Marshall, he was speaking with us a few days ago, talking about the importance of all this, ah, which this year the theme is to raise awareness about food and security. Take a listen.
Food and security resonates with the Irish because of the great famine. That, that is really why so many of us are here. Despite how prosperous and terrific the United States is, there are a lot of people who go hungry. There's almost two million people in New York who are, who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
Yeah, and it's uh, today, the official kick-off. Again, this breakfast smells so good, looks so good. Starts at 6:30 this morning, so about an hour from now, and that parade, 11:00 this morning. We will be there for all that excitement, we'll be bringing you the very latest. But for now we are live this morning, here from Midtown Manhattan. John Dias, CBS2 News.
John, thank you!
