Feb. 26, 2024 By Matt Tracy
It’s that time of year again.
The 25th annual edition of the St. Pat’s for All Parade — an inclusive celebration of Irish culture and heritage — is scheduled to roll through the streets of Sunnyside and Woodside in Queens on March 3.
Local families, businesses, organizations, and elected officials are expected to be decked out in green for the event, which originated more than two decades ago due to the exclusion of LGBTQ individuals from the Manhattan St. Patrick’s Day Parade. LGBTQ groups can now participate in Manhattan, but St. Pat’s for All has lived on nonetheless.
The St. Pat’s for All festivities will begin at noon at 43rd Street & Skillman Ave., where there will music and speeches before marchers step off at 1 p.m. Last year’s event concluded at 58th St. and Woodside Ave.
This year’s grand marshals are Dennis J. Brownlee, who is the founder and president of the African American Irish Diaspora Network, and Geraldine Hughes, a Northern Irish film, TV, and stage actress. There are also three special guests slated to attend: Helena Nolan, the general counsel general of Ireland in New York; Jerry Buttimer, the Cathaoirleach, who leads the Irish Senate; and Róisín Wiley, the New York Rose, who was named the 2023 Rose of Tralee.
For marchers, the parade’s website, stpatsforall.org, suggests a $35 donation at registration — but registration is nonetheless free and folks can sign up via Eventbrite. More than 50 groups registered last year.
The St. Pat’s for All Parade will take place on the same day as the anti-LGBTQ Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has long refused to drop a ban on queer participants despite years of pressure. However, Staten Island will host a new and inclusive parade on March 17 called the Forest Ave. St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Pride Center of Staten Island has already vowed to participate in that event.