Ticker tape parade recap: New York celebrates COVID-19 essential workers

The parade took place along the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.

ByEmily Shapiro
Last Updated: July 7, 2021, 9:48 PM EDT

Confetti filled the streets of lower Manhattan on Wednesday as New Yorkers gathered for a ticker tape parade honoring the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Called the Hometown Heroes Parade, the event was held along the Canyon of Heroes, nearly 16 months after New York City became the nation's first COVID-19 epicenter.

Latest headlines:

Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Jul 07, 2021, 7:53 AM EDT

Ceremony scaled back due to heat

The City Hall ceremony at the end of the parade will be "a much smaller, stripped down version" than originally planned due to the heat, Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday.

"We will be greeting the marchers at the end of the parade and thanking them," de Blasio said. "Not a big ceremony, but the parade itself of course will be the central salute to our heroes."

"We will be adding additional cooling centers and water stations along the route," the mayor added.

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky

Jul 07, 2021, 7:18 AM EDT

New York to hold 1st ticker tape parade in 2 years

Ticker tape parades along the Canyon of Heroes are a historical part of New York City. These parades have honored people from Amelia Earhart in 1932 to Winston Churchill in 1946.

The most recent ticker tape parade was in 2019 for the U.S. women's national soccer team after they won the World Cup.

"Ticker tape parades up the Canyon of Heroes, they’ve happened for generations," Mayor Bill de Blasio said last month. "But this one will have a special spirit to it, a special heart and soul, because it's about celebrating everyday New Yorkers who did something heroic and need our thanks."

Related Topics