Stirring 86th Greek Independence Day Parade Down 5th Ave. Evangelos Marinakis an Honorary Grand Marshal

Thousands of people lined the sides of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday for the 86th edition of the annual March 25 Greek Independence Day parade, with this year marking the 204th anniversary of the monumental uprising to liberate Greece from dour Ottoman rule.

Evangelos Marinakis was an Honorary Grand Marshal of the parade, with several dignitaries also present as honorary guests. Marinakis’ Olympiacos FC, the reigning UEFA Conference League champions, was present in the “Big Apple” to participate in the annual parade.

Another magnificent ceremony

Some 120 groups with 52 floats and 15 marching bands paraded from 64^th to 79^th streets along renowned Fifth Avenue, with the participation of Greek-American, Hellenic and local federations, clubs, associations, professional groups, trade associations, women’s groups, businesses, students’ unions, churches and religious affiliations from the Tri-state area, upstate New York, New England and as far away as Montreal.

According to NYPD sources, the 2025 parade is expected to be one of the biggest in recent memory.

The parade opened with an honor guard comprised of Evzones, members of Greece’s Presidential Guard, carrying a Greek flag that is hoisted daily atop the Acropolis in central Athens.

Grand Marshals Banquet

A day earlier, the annual Grand Marshals Banquet preceding the parade was held, with significant messages issued before a packed hall and with numerous dignitaries from the Greek-American community and Greece in attendance.

Shipowner and Olympiacos FC president Evangelos Marinakis was essentially the central div at the prominent event, accepting the honor of being one of the Grand Marshals of the parade. He conveyed a very warm greeting towards the Greek diaspora and to those in attendance.

Marinakis was introduced by the former US ambassador to Greece, George J. Tsunis, who praised Marinakis’ business achievements in shipping, media and sports, especially highlighting Olympiacos’ conquering of last season’s Europa Conference League title.

“The Capital Group is one of the largest and most dynamic shipping companies in the world. And if that’s not enough, he’s also a soccer giant. He owns a team in Portugal. He owns Nottingham Forest, the team currently third in the English Premier League and playing at Wembley today for the FA Cup. And as Olympiacos celebrates its 100th anniversary – with 10 Greek championships, four Greek Cups, and the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy, the only time in 100 years a Greek team has won such a title – he was equally proud when Olympiacos won the UEFA Youth League. It was the first time a European club had won two European titles in the same season,” Tsunis said.

The spirit of the Greeks

“The feelings from experiencing the parade up close are incredible. It’s the spirit of the Greeks. This year is a double joy because Olympiacos is here,” Olympic gold medal hurdler Fani Chalkia said.

Western Greece Governor Nektarios Farmakis

On his part, the visiting Governor of Western Greece, Nektarios Farmakis, emphasized that “the heart of Greece beating so far away from our homeland is touching…The energy of all these people, who live so far from home, is significant.”

Olympiacos: New York decked out in red-and-white

Manhattan was decked out in red-and-white for the events, with the historic trophies of the UEFA Youth League and Europa Conference League brought to the US metropolis for display in a special exhibition space that attracted young and old. Olympiacos FC, in fact, undertook several related initiatives.

Both trophies were the centerpieces on a special Olympiacos float that took part in the Greek Independence Day parade.