Mar. 17, 2023 By Maggie Wong
While March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish-themed celebrations will continue in Queens next weekend with the Bayside St. Patrick’s Day Parade, scheduled for March 25.
The fifth annual parade will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, starting on Bell Boulevard from 35th Avenue and marching to 42nd Avenue.
Bayside resident Francis McLoughlin, president of the parade, first began preparations for the big day back in June. He noted that preparations remain ongoing until the night before the parade.
“It’s not just one person, there’s a committee of about 16 people who put in a lot of time and effort to get this parade moving,” Francis McLoughlin told QNS.
Bagpipers march down Bell Boulevard in Bayside during the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Paul Frangipane)
Returning this year to participate in the parade is the NYP Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, FDNY and DSNY Pipes and Drums, as well as 71 groups consisting of local businesses, politicians and various groups throughout the community.
Bob Reid is serving as the parade’s grand marshal, with Michelle Byrne, Michael Casey, Ciara Erdman, Robert Hogan, James O’Leary, Vinny Tolins and Father Stephen Saffron serving as aides.
With Bayside’s history of Irish pride and heritage, McLoughlin predicted approximately 7,500 to 10,000 spectators would be attending the parade.
Spectators watch as revelers make their way down Bell Boulevard in Bayside during the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Photo by Paul Frangipane)
Not only is preserving Irish heritage important, the committee wants to help local groups that are important to the residents, including Bayside Little League, baseball, Historical Society, local churches in the area, and many more, according to McLoughlin.
“We give back to the community as much as they give to us,” McLoughlin said.
For more information on the parade, visit baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org or facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade.