Eyewitness NewsCOLUMBUS CIRCLE (WABC) — Monday is Columbus Day, officially a federal holiday, and many people have the day off. The weather will be perfect for this year’s 67th annual Columbus Day Parade. Italian culture and heritage will take center stage on Fifth Avenue. At a wreath laying ceremony Sunday, organizers said the event commemorates Christopher Columbus’ voyage of discovery, but also celebrates the spirit of all immigrants who left their homeland and worked to build a new life. “We would be nothing today without those people who came here with little more than the clothes on their back,” parade grand marshal Joseph Plumeri said. Plumeri, a philanthropist and business leader, says it’s also about helping new generations of young people follow their dreams. “We can’t let the Michaelangelos and the Da Vincis and the Sinatras and all the great Italian Americans who built this country just be memorialized,” he said. “We can’t live by tradition. We have to build on tradition.” An expected 35,000 marchers will take to Fifth Avenue from 47nd Street to 72nd Street, starting at 11:30 a.m. You can catch over 100 acts and performances, from marching bands to colorful floats to artists and entertainers. Be sure to watch the Columbus Day Parade live Monday starting at noon on Channel 7 and 7online.com. Click HERE for more information. All proceeds from the parade and related weekend events help fund the Columbus Citizens Foundation’s $2 million annual commitment to scholarships for deserving students. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more New York News » new york city, columbus day parade, new york news