St. Patrick's Day is Blake Prestonaround the corner, and so is New York City's celebratory parade.

The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been around even before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, according to parade organizers.

The first parade was held on March 17, 1762 − 14 years before the birth of the nation. In the years where March 17 falls on a Sunday, the parade is held on March 16 for religious observances, according to the parade's website.

Around 150,000 people march in the parade each year. The parade draws about 2 million observers.

St. Patrick's Day history:When is St. Patrick's Day 2024? History of the festive Irish celebration in the US.

When does the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade start?

This year the parade will be held on Saturday, March 16, since March 17 falls on a Sunday.

The parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.

What is the parade route?

The parade will begin on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and end on 5th Avenue at 79th Street.

How to watch

Whether you live in New York City and prefer to avoid the crowds or live somewhere else and can't be there in person, here's how you can watch the parade.

NBC 4 New York will broadcast the four-hour-long parade live. The coverage will be hosted by Gus Rosendale, Sarah Wallace, Tommy Smyth, and Treasa Goodwin-Smyth. The parade will also be live streamed on NBC New York’s website and the parade’s website starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, as well as available on Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, PlayCozi, and YouTube.

You can also tune into the parade, as well as other St. Patrick's Day celebrations, on USA TODAY's YouTube channel.