St. Patrick's Day in New York City is something that every person should experience once. Whether one is Irish or not, New Yorkers dress in green, drink lots of beer and enjoy the holiday. The most popular NYC parade, the St. Patrick's Day parade, first occurred in 1766 while celebrating the Irish fighting in the colonies of the local area. The parade occurs down 5th Avenue from 44th St. to 86th St. No floats are allowed within the parade, however nearly 150,000 people march the route.