Photos: Bernard Debarbieux

MARCO POLO DAY

On a windy Saturday last October, bystanders on New York's Mott Street suddenly found themselves on a journey to the East, as a 50-foot long silk map unfurled above their heads, detailing Marco Polo's trek from Venice to the Court of the Kublai Khan. Leading the way was a giant figure of Polo himself, flanked by the heraldic banners and floating palazzos of the Venetian Republic. As the map scrolled past, the Great Khan approached, appearing amidst mountain temples and Mongolian tribal standards, held aloft by masked attendants.

The occasion was Marco Polo Day, officially decreed by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer last year.  The celebration was the brainchild of the Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, a non-profit founded in 1958 to foster ties between the communities of Little Italy and Chinatown, and more recently, to promote historic preservation and affordable housing in the district.  PAW was commissioned by Two Bridges to create a parade to mark the 2nd Annual Marco Polo Day Festival. The event promises to become a new urban tradition, as new elements are added to the parade each year.