St. Patrick's Day is a comin', and with it comes the marching and celebrating for the Irish and non-Irish alike on Long Island.
There will be parades galore in communities from Mineola to Miller Place to Montauk, with pipe bands,
politicians and people young and old stepping off in honor of Ireland's patron saint.
One parade of note will be in Patchogue on Sunday March 17 at 2 p.m. The event will have a patriotic theme, "The American in Irish American," and will honor popular Irish American radio host Mike McCormack. Patchogue will also be the site of a number of Irish musical events, the Prodigals March 7, the Irish Rovers March 13 and Tony Kenny's Ireland, March 23. Each will be held at 8 p.m. in the Patchogue Theater. Call (631) 475-0121 for info.
The St. Patrick's parade that's become Long Island's largest in just five years is the Rockville Centre St. Patrick's Parade, being held Saturday March 23 at noon on Maple Avenue. It features 18 pipe bands and over a hundred marching organizations. What's really unique about the "Parade That Cares and Shares" is that every year it aids three charities. This year's charities are: We Care of Rockville Centre, the NYC
Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Prominent attorney James Gill is the RVC Parade's Grand Marshal. For information on the parade's fundraising events, call (516) 766-2582.
More music will be on tap
on Saturday March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Deer Park High School in a concert of traditional music, stepdancing and storytelling featuring Jim Hawkins, Greg Ryan and Mary Beth Lahr. Jim and Greg will also be appearing the following day at 2 p.m at the
Peninsula Library in the Five Towns, and on Sunday March 17 from 3 to 9 p.m. in Lily Flanagan's Restaurant in Rockville Centre. Jim will also appear solo for storytelling and songs on Saturday March 9 at 2 p.m. in the Floral Park Library, and on Saturday March 16 in the West Babylon Library, also at 2 p.m. For information, call (516) 868-9346.
So, wear your shamrocks this March and enjoy!
