Pittsburgh’s annual Columbus Day parade will return to Bloomfield on Saturday, rain or shine.
The parade was canceled last year after the death of a longtime organizer, Hank Blum.
Guy Costa, one of the parade organizers, said the parade starts at 11 a.m. and runs along Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield between Aspen and Ella streets.
“Columbus Day is a day for Italian Americans to celebrate their proud heritage, but the parade has become more of a multicultural event for Pittsburgh,” Costa said. “We have German dancers, Polish dancers and musicians, a Caribbean band, a Filipino group and African-American band. We invite everybody.”
It will also feature many local sports celebrities. This year’s Grand Marshal is Rich Stanizzo, former business manager of the Pittsburgh Regional Building and Construction Trades Council.
The parade is sponsored mainly by the Italian Sons and Daughters of America.
