The Columbus Citizens Foundation announced today that Leonard Riggio, the Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble, the world's largest bookseller, has been named Grand Marshal of the 73 rd Columbus Day Parade. Mr. Riggio created the theme of this year's parade, "A Celebration of Italian-American Authors," and is inviting Italian-American authors from across the country to march up Fifth Avenue with him in the parade.

The annual parade, the largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture in the United States, will take place on Monday, October 9, 2017, beginning at 11:30 a.m. As Grand Marshal, Mr. Riggio will lead dozens of marching bands and floats and over 100 marching groups up the Fifth Avenue parade route, from 44 th Street to 72 nd Street.