The 40th annual Christopher Columbus Day Parade was held Monday in Harrison.

Paradegoers lined Halstead Avenue to watch the marching bands, cheerleaders and clubs take part in the annual tradition, which kicks off Italian Heritage Month.

The parade, also known as "It's Great to Live in Harrison Celebration," is a way to honor the residents who live there as well as the law enforcement officers and first responders. The parade wrapped up at Ma Riis Park.

News 12 asked attendees for their stance on the movement to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, as opponents of Columbus Day say we shouldn't honor a man who promoted the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and genocide. Not many in attendance shared the concern.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Rosemary King, who's been serving meatballs at Ma Riis Park on this day for years. She said she's proud of her Italian heritage and that Columbus Day should stay the way it's always been.