Although this mother and toddler had a good time, thin crowds and empty stretches of sidewalk marked the 74th annual Columbus Day Parade along Fifth Avenue on a dreary Monday.
“I came here from The Bronx to celebrate with my family and this is the turnout? The pizza festival had more people,” said Patrick DiMarco, 58, who lives near Pelham Bay.
“This is supposed to be a proud Italian day and this looked like Italians aren’t proud people anymore.”
Another long-timer chalked up the disappointing display to the misting gray skies.
“It definitely wasn’t as good as last year, but what can you do?” asked Joseph LaMarca, 67, of Bensonhurst. “I wish there was more to the parade than three floats and the Department of Sanitation. If I had to list it, it’d be the worst parade I’ve ever attended.”
New York’s elected leaders were among the only folks who turned out in force as both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio marched from 43rd Street to 72nd Street, greeting the underwhelming crowd.
Two City Hall staffers served as Hizzoner’s hype men and unsuccessfully tried to rev up bystanders by shouting into megaphones.
“Show your pride, wave those flags!” they screamed to little effect as the mayor called out “Buon giorno!” along the route
The weak attendance came as activists denounced Columbus’ brutal treatment of the indigenous people he encountered — and staged their own celebration on Randalls Island.