March 5, 2011 By Christian Murray
The 12th annual Sunnyside/Woodside St. Pats For All parade is scheduled to take place this Sunday at 47thStreet and Skillman Ave (details below).
The parade, which has typically started at 43rd and Skillman, has been shortened this year following the New York Police Dept.’s decision to reduce the length of all parades. Nevertheless, this year 100 groups have registered to march, more than any other year. One group has 100 members.
The St. Pats For All parade was initially viewed as a gay-pride parade, since it was started by a number of Irish men and women who were not allowed to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade on Fifth Ave under a gay banner.
Today, the Sunnyside/Woodside event has morphed into more of a community parade, which includes seniors, children, minorities and even local canines.
“We want it to be about Irish culture with a focus on building a bridge to different groups in the neighbourhood,” said Brendan Fay, a co-chair with Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy.
“When we say St. Pats for all, we mean it,” Fay said. “We have Mexican, Bolivian, Ecuadorian and Chilean groups coming” Fay said.
But the event will still remain true to its Irish heritage. There will be bagpipe bands and traditional Irish musicians, as well as Irish folk dancers.
This year’s Grand Marshals are Patricia Lewsley, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland, and James P. Cullen, Brigadier General (Ret.) and founding President of the Brehon Law Society.
Cullen, who is a human rights lawyer and is originally from Sunnyside, organised a collation of retired army generals who advised President Barack Obama on shutting down Guantanamo Bay.
DETAILS
Takes place
Sunday, March 6
People assemble for the parade at 1:30 for music (46th and Skillman)
Parade begins at 2:00: 47thand Skillman Ave.
Ends: 58th Street and Woodside Ave.
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7 Comments
Turnout, Anton? On one block there were people watching while everybody else ignored it! You and the other bigots in the ‘hood can ignore reality all you want.
No, Raquel, you and the other bigots in the neighborhood ignore it, as you do with a good deal of reality, but, as Lily notes, the turnout was fine as always, and particularly impressive given the downpour.
It was my first year seeing the parade. I thought it was kind of cute, and the turnout was impressive considering the weather.
Such a shame it rained so horribly yesterday. I was looking forward to going but instead did laundry 🙁
Def will go next year!
The neighborhood ignores this panderfest. I hope the politicos are booed. It is a waste of money.
Will the parade still happen in the rain?
What a fantastic parade every year. It puts sunnyside on the map. all our politicians show their faces here. May bring some extra cash to skilllman ave with more shoppers and more people eatng. the weather might be iffy but lets hope its dry. Its sunnyside own parade. I hope everyone comes out for it tommorrow. Its also wonderful that this web site covers the parade everyyear as well. A very well job done by the sunnysidepost web site.