The 31st Annual Glen Cove Saint Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on St. Patrick’s Day itself, Sunday, March 17, 2019. The parade is the premier St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Long Island. This year is one of the very rare occasions when the Parade takes place on St. Patrick’s Day itself. We are able to this because the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on Saturday when St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday.
The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade is Patrick “Patsy” Furlong. Patrick is a native of County Wexford, Ireland and a longtime resident of Glen Cove, where he runs a landscaping business and has been a beloved staff member at All Saints Regional Catholic School for twenty years.
The Parade has taken place annually since 1989. It has grown to be the largest annual parade in Glen Cove and a joyous celebration that is eagerly awaited each Spring by all residents of the North Shore and the entire Long Island community.
The Parade begins to form up at 12 noon in the area of the Finley Middle School on Forest Avenue. It steps off at 1 pm, following the usual route through downtown Glen Cove to St. Patrick’s Church. There is very ample parking in the municipal garages and at the end of the parade route. Shuttle buses will run between the parking areas and the formation area.
The parade is followed by a family-friendly post-parade party at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, at the end of the parade route.
The heart of the parade, as always, will be its exciting mix of marching groups, including many bands of Irish pipers and other marching bands. Further color will be added to the festivities by vintage cars, costumed performers, face painters, fire and police units and much more. The parade is a true community celebration of the coming of Spring with many of our areas’ ethnic organizations, often in costume, taking part. Come, join the fun!
For more information, please visit the parade website at www.glencoveparade.com or call 516-782-7494.