The parade of the Greek Diaspora of New York, on central 5th Avenue of Manhattan, commemorating March 25th, the Greek Revolution and the Liberation of the Greeks from the Ottomans, was great for yet another year.
HDN Newsroom
On Sunday, March 30, 2025, the 86th Greek parade on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, for the national anniversary of March 25, was completed with all splendor.
The Grand Master of Ceremonies this year was the Greek businessman, shipowner and President of Olympiacos FC, Vangelis Marinakis, as well as the Metropolitan of Patras Chrysostomos as well as the Greek Chief of the Armed Forces, General Andreas Poppas, who was unable to attend but was represented by his associate.
Honorary ceremonial masters were the actor and director Christoforos Papakaliatis, as well as the three-time Olympic gold medalist, Pyrros Dimas.
More than 120 bands with 52 floats and 15 bands paraded from 64th to 79th Street on 5th Avenue with the participation of federations, associations, associations, professional groups, trade associations, women's organizations, school businesses, student associations, churches and religious communities from the greater New York metropolitan area, Northern New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Montreal, Canada.
The grand parade was attended by thousands of people as well as prominent members of the Greek community of New York.
According to New York police authorities, the 2025 parade was one of the largest in recent years.
From the Evzones of the Presidential Guard to the parade that honored the victims of Tempe, this year's parade had special symbolism, conveying messages of historical memory, unity and national pride.
The parade opened with the Greek Flag of the Acropolis and was followed by the honorary parade of the Evzones of the Presidential Guard which paraded with an impeccable formation.
With the central slogan "Greece, the birthplace of democracy and strategic partner of the United States", the proud Greek Diaspora of New York and the distinguished official guests filled the center of New York with Greek colors and sounds for another year!
Evangelos Marinakis: "We see all Greeks united!"
Evangelos Marinakis, founder and president of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, president of Olympiacos and master of ceremonies of the 86th Greek parade on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, spoke about "a very nice parade".
"We see Greeks all together united and what made an impression is how beloved they are, applauding the fact that many of them have achieved greatness," Marinakis said.
The leader of Olympiacos also spoke about the "red-and-white" team that spread joy to all Greeks of the Greek Diaspora by winning the European trophies. "Olympiacos abroad are Olympic twice. They are proud of what the team has achieved, all its successes, the European Cups we have won", he noted and underlined "the positive response" he receives from the fans.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America: "Participation gives us courage, gives us hope"
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America noted that "when the Church parades, all Hellenism parades. Participation gives us courage, gives us hope. Hellenism is alive beyond the borders of the Greek territory."
Regarding President Trump, he said that he loves Greece and respects Greek culture. "Our ties will continue without being shaken," he concluded.
His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras stated that "Greece is everywhere. Where there are Greeks, there is Greece. We are all united. It is the country of culture, the country of democracy."
"The soul of the Greeks"
"It's a wonderful feeling to experience the parade up close. It is the soul of the Greeks. This year it is a double joy that Olympiacos is here", said the Olympic champion, Fani Chalkia.
"The heart of Greece beats so far from our homeland and this is touching," noted the regional governor of Western Greece, Nektarios Farmakis, about the parade of the Greek community in New York. "The energy of all these people who live so far from home is important," he added.
The annual Greek parade of the New York Diaspora was organized under the auspices of the Federation of Greek Associations of Greater New York.
The parade was attended by distinguished guests, including His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations, Ambassador of Greece to Washington, Aikaterini Nasika, Consul General of Greece in New York, Iphigenia Kanara, and former U.S. Ambassador to Greece, George Tsounis.
This year's Greek parade was characterized by the mass participation, as more than one hundred and twenty organizations took part, accompanied by fifty-two floats and fifteen philharmonic bands. The participants not only gave a pulse to the parade, but also accompanied a series of parallel events organized by the Greek Diaspora.
Particularly touching was the presence of the contingent dedicated to the tragedy of Tempe. Bearing the name "Agima 57", it paid tribute to the fifty-seven victims of the train accident, reminding us of the importance of memory and collective responsibility.
The parade was broadcast live by Mega play and you can see it in its entirety in the video below:
