reasons. In the inaugural year of 2000, the parade attracted over 70 groups of people, including the Korean community honoring the important role that Irish nuns had played in their education, Chilean folk musicians honoring Bernardo O' Higgins, the founding father and first president of Chile, and the son of an Irish immigrant, children and their puppets, the Sunny Side Drum Corps, and LGBT organizations. Many never imagined being a part of a tradition that didn't allow anything that distracted the Catholic expression. Woodside parade stands out because it welcomes anyone who wearing of green regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation. “The St. Patrick’s parade is the most significant expression of Irish culture and celebration in this city, and the parade in Queens, for many of us, was a first-time experience. It was the first parade since the first St. Patrick’s parade in New York City, which was in 1762, was open and welcoming to all.”