New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade showcases planning and execution at its finest, followed by a less fine display of drunkeness and disorder at the bars near the parade route. But New York's Easter Parade is the opposite — it's a much less formal affair with a rather sober aftermath.

Every Easter, the city closes Fifth Avenue from 49th through 57th street from 10 AM—4 PM and opens it to pedestrians who want to show off their Easter finery and admire others. Everyone at the parade is just milling around, taking and posing for photos. Some wear traditional-ish hats with flowers, while others go for full-blown costumes as if it's a spring-themed Halloween. There was a lot of creativity on display — if I had to choose a favorite it would be either the human wedding cake or the family who were all wearing Lost-Our-Nest-Eggs-With-Bernie-Madoff hats (the daughter is pictured on the left). Many of the outfits wouldn't be suitable for church. Well, maybe in New York…