From its humble beginnings in 1998 when 2 pipe bands and a ragtag but spirited group of Scottish Americans, including Cliff Robertson, walked from the British Consulate to the United Nations, the parade has evolved to include many bands and participants.

Lothian & Borders Police Police, Scotland, march past the Burns Statue in Central Park - 2001

In 2002, as part of the Tartan Day celebrations and building on previous massed pipe band events, Scottish based events company, Epic Concepts, with a record number of pipe bands from all over the World, brought the parade to 6th Avenue.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg welcomes Grand Marshall, Sir Sean Connery to the Tartan Day Parade - 2002

Past Parade Grand Marshals
1998 - Cliff Robertson - Actor
2002 - Sir Sean Connery - Actor
2005 - Randall Wallace - Author
2006 - Brigadier Melville Stewart Jameson - Director of The International Edinburgh Military Tattoo
2007 - George Reid, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament

Numerous groups and societies throughout Canada and America have taken the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320) as their national date to celebrate their Scottish roots.

On December 19th 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming April 6th as Tartan Day, following the example of other Canadian provinces. America followed suit on March 20th 1998, when Senate Resolution 155 (S.Res. 155), proposed by US Senate Republican majority leader Trent Lott, was passed unanimously.

The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

Whereas April 6 has a special significance for all Americans, and especially those Americans of Scottish descent, because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on that inspirational document; Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of independence were of Scottish descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this Nation through its most troubled times; Whereas this resolution recognizes the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans that have led to America's preeminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, economics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts; Whereas this resolution commends the more than 200 organizations throughout the United States that honor Scottish heritage, tradition, and culture, representing the hundreds of thousands of Americans of Scottish descent, residing in every State, who already have made the observance of Tartan Day on April 6 a success; Whereas these numerous individuals, clans, societies, clubs, and fraternal organizations do not let the great contributions of the Scottish people go unnoticed: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate designates April 6 of each year as "National Tartan Day".

The New York National Tartan Day Committee

The National Tartan Day New York Committee is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York.

The Committee was created in 2002 in order to help organize New York City's Tartan Day Parade, help perpetuate Tartan Day and coordinate New York's Tartan Week activities. The Committee was founded by three New York based Scottish organizations: Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756, New York Caledonian Club, 1856, and American Scottish Foundation, 1956.

Two additional organizations, Clan Campbell Society and the New York Police Pipes and Drums were later additions to the Committee.