You are reading

Revelers brave the rain to march in Queens Columbus Day parade in Astoria

The annual Queens Columbus Day parade took place in Astoria on Saturday, Oct. 7, despite the heavy rain. (Photo by Walter Karling)

Oct. 9, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

The annual Queens Columbus Day parade took place in Astoria on Saturday, Oct. 7, and it was well attended despite the heavy rain.

The parade, now in its 45th year, celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492. It also coincides with Columbus Day, a federal holiday that takes place on the second Monday of October every year to mark Columbus’ arrival. Columbus went ashore at Guanahaní, an island in the Bahamas.

The Queens Columbus Day parade is organized annually by the Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAOQ), a nonprofit group that seeks to promote and preserve Italian-American heritage throughout the borough. It also provides immigration services and civic classes. Astoria is known for having a large Italian-American population.

Rain-soaked marchers departed from Kaufman Astoria Studios, a film studio located at 34-12 36th St., and marched north through the heart of Astoria until they reached Columbus Triangle, a small public space next to the Astoria Boulevard station and bordered by Astoria Boulevard South, Hoyt Avenue South and 33rd Street.

The space contains a statue of Christopher Columbus, which was erected in 1941. A wreath was laid at the bottom of the statue to honor Columbus.

This year’s grand marshal was Clemente Lopes, who is the principal of I.S. 010 Horace Greeley, a middle school located at 45-11 31st Ave. in Astoria. He led the march with Judge Jerry Iannece, the parade’s chairperson, and Thomas Principe Esq., a former parade grand marshal. Angie Markham, the executive director of FIAOQ also attended the parade.

Participants in the parade also included members of the NYPD’s police band, and the Junior Officer Training Corps (JROTC) at Aviation High School, an aviation high school located at 45-30 36th St.

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Thomas Principe Esq., a former parade Grand Marshal (center) with Grand Marshal Clemente Lopes (center left) (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Marchers playing in the rain (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

A wreath was laid at the bottom of the statue of Columbus (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Marchers carrying a banner and flags at the Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

(Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

(Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Mayra dressed as Queen Isabella (l.) and Joe Di Rico dressed as Christopher Columbus (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Grand Marshal Clemente Lopes with FIAOQ President Joe DiPietro at the Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Parade Grand Marshal Clemente Lopes (l.) being welcomed by parade chairperson Judge Jerry Lannece (c.) and FIAOQ executive director Angie Markham (r.) Lopes is the principal of IS 10, The Horace Greeley School, located on 31st Avenue and 46th Street in Astoria. Lopes emigrated from Italy and arrived in the United States at the age of 17 (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Participants before the parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Members of the Aviation HS Junior ROTC (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Queens Columbus Day parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

Hellgate road runner Carol Labozzetta at the parade (Photo by Walter Karling)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Hollis man charged with raping 14-year-old told teen, ‘I can help you get work’

New details have emerged in the case of the Hollis man accused luring a 14-year-old boy into his car in St. Albans and then allegedly raping him on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1.

Virgilio Taveras, 63, of Hillside Avenue, was arrested by detectives from the Queens Special Victims Squad two days later and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Taveras was arraigned on the Fourth of July in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with rape in the second degree, luring a child as an E felony, endangering the welfare of a child and other related crimes.

Deadly Belt Parkway crash claims lives of Springfield Gardens man and Manhattan mother: NYPD

A Springfield Gardens man and a passenger in his car died after they were involved in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the Belt Parkway near Kennedy Airport on the morning of Saturday, July 5.

Noah Thompson, 24, of 179th Street, was behind the wheel of a white BMW 428i traveling eastbound on the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach at 6:05 a.m. when he failed to navigate the roadway approaching the Nassau Expressway exit.

Man in his 50s sought for exposing himself to 13-year-old on E train in Forest Hills: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Transit District 20 are looking for a suspect who allegedly flashed a 13-year-old girl on a Queens subway train last month.

The victim was riding a southbound E train approaching the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station at around 1 p.m. on Monday, June 30, when she saw a stranger exposing himself to her, police said Wednesday. The perpetrator ran off the train at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station and fled in an unknown direction. The youngster was not injured during her encounter with the stranger.