The April Fools Day Parade is a long running hoax in New York City. Created by artist and prankster Joey Skaggs in 1986, a parade has never, not once, been held in New York City on April 1. 2010 would be the 25th annual parade and it, like the 24 previous parades, will in fact never be held. So don't go. Really.

"The 25th Annual April Fools' Day Parade will begin at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street at 12 noon, Thursday, April 1, 2010. Rain or shine, the parade will march down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park for the post-parade festivities and selection of the King or Queen of Fools from the costumed marching look-alikes. The theme for this year's parade is "Up, Up and Away." http://aprilfoolsdayparade.com/

The flyer tells us that the parade will be kicked off with the "Where's-the-Money Marching Band" who will play "Up, Up and Away in my Beautiful Balloon" and that Sarah Palin will provide a commentary of her new show for Fox TV "We Make It Up, You Believe It."

The floats themselves will include:

• Richard and Mayumi Heene's Homemade Helium Flying Saucer Float
• Timothy B. Cheney and first officer Richard I. Cole napping in the Northwest Airlines Flight 188 "Siesta" Cockpit Float
• H2O bombs being launched into the crowd by the North Korea Missile Launch Float
• Washington Wizards basketball stars Gilbert Arena and Javaris Crittenton with guns ablazing on the The OK Corral Float

Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and David Letterman will take part in a Late Night TV Roman Chariot Race being pulled by network executives instead of horses, as they vi for first place.

Joey Skaggs began issuing press releases announcing a New York City April Fools Day Parade in 1986. The first April Fools Day Parade was advertised to help crown the Fool of the Year. The parade was to have featured a 76-trombone band, floats and banners. The parade would march down 5th Avenue from 59th Street to Washington Square Park, beginning at 12:00 noon on the first. The parade was designed, according to Skaggs, to "commemorate the perennial folly of mankind—April 1st" and "bring people back in touch with their inherent foolishness".Joey Skaggs: Retrospective (Retro)

In 2000, the release announced the 15th Annual New York City April Fool's Day Parade. The parade was reportedly going to start at 59th Street at noon, proceeding down 5th Avenue. CNN and Fox bit, sending crews to cover the parade. When the reporters arrived at 59th Street, and saw no sign of a parade, they realized they'd been had, yet again.Joey Skaggs: Retrospective (Retro)

The 2008 press release announced that George Bush would lead the parade, while being "pursued by an outraged lynch mob." Featured floats included the "Michael Vick Dog Fight" float, and a special float on which former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was surrounded by prostitutes.Joey Skaggs: Retrospective (Retro)