St Patrick's Day parade New York: What time does it start and finish, map of route - and how to watch it live from home

New York City will be a sea of green today (Saturday 16 March) as it hosts its historic St Patrick's Day Parade. The parade is the longest running St Patrick's Day celebration in the world, dating back to 1762. 

This is the 263rd year it will march up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. Approximately 150,000 marchers and two million spectators are expected to attend.   

St. Patrick's Day is on Sunday 17 March but the parade will be held Saturday in order to observe the sabbath. It steps off at 11am Saturday local time (3pm UK time) and is expected to wrap up around 4.30pm.

Map of the parade route

The parade travels up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue for about 35 blocks, starting at 44th Street and ending near 79th Street. It will pass by St Patrick's Cathedral before coming up the east side of Central Park. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early for the best view along Fifth Avenue.

How can I watch the NYC Saint Patrick's Day Parade from home?

Live coverage of the 263rd NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade will be exclusively offered by NBC 4 New York on Saturday 16 March from 11am through 3pm on WNBC, on NBCNewYork.com, and the NBC 4 App. 

The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade will also be available for a national audience through the station’s 'NBC New York News' streaming channel. 'NBC New York News' is also available for international audiences on some streaming platforms; click here for a step-by-step guide to accessing the streaming channel.

Who is the grand marshal of the parade?

Margaret C. “Maggie” Timoney was announced as this year's grand marshal. Timoney is the president and CEO of Heinken USA in White Plains, New York - a company that she has been with for more than 20 years. Timoney, a native of Ireland, has become a trailblazer in the male-dominated industry, becoming the first woman to serve as chief executive of a major beer company in the US.