The Big Apple Goes German for the Day

One of the truly great things about living in New York City is that a quiet walk can instantly transform into an extravaganza. Today I stumbled upon the German-American Steuben Parade on Fifth Avenue. Normally, I shun parades but the colorful costumes, pounding percussion, and multitude of marching bands caught my fancy. Before I knew it, someone had handed me a German flag and tossed me some tasty candies from Deutschland. I even scored a snazzy "Hallo" button courtesy of the Goethe Institute as a cute keepsake. One of the serious causes of celebration at the parade was the upcoming 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Revved up by the sound of 1980's pop hit 99 Luftballons blaring from a passing float, I snapped a few photos of the eye-catching traditional costumes worn by the participants.