German-American Steuben Parade

The German-American Steuben Parade is an annual parade traditionally held in cities across the United States on Von Steuben Day.

The New York City parade is held every third Saturday in September (on the 17th in 2016, on the 16th in 2017, and on the 15th in 2018). It was founded in 1957 by immigrants from Germany who, being part of the largest self-reported immigrant ancestral group in the United States, wanted to keep the traditions of their German homeland alive.

The Philadelphia parade, founded in 1970, is normally held every fourth Saturday in September.

The Chicago parade was featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

The first Steuben Parade was held in the German neighborhood of Ridgewood Queens. In 1958, the Parade moved to Yorkville known then as Germantown, and lined up on 86th Street. Over the years, as the event grew bigger, it drew an ever larger number of spectators. Soon it gained the City's recognition and marched up Fifth Avenue, turning on to 86th St, and marching all the way across to First Avenue to cheering crowds. 86th Street was once the heart of Little Germany and was affectionately called the "German Boulevard" It hosted many German shops, Konditereis, Biergartens, Vereins, theaters, restaurants, newspapers, and dance halls. Today, the Parade still marches up Fifth Avenue but now ends only at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street. It is led by cadets representing the German Language Club of the Military Academy of West Point, which was founded by General von Steuben. The three-hour-long parade is dominated by traditional German groups, spectacular colorful floats, and marching bands, clubs and organizations from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, as well as the USA and Canada, wearing their traditional German costumes. The Parade honors one or more Grand Marshals, who are either American citizens with a German background or German citizens with a distinct relationship to America.

The parade was named by its founders after Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian-born General who served under General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. Von Steuben is still regarded as one of the most important German Americans, as his training of the young American troops made victory against the British possible and thus his work helped in gaining independence for the United States of America.

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