Brendan Fay and Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy Scout Out New Route (Photo: QueensPost)
Feb. 5, 2011 By Christian Murray
The 12th annual Sunnyside/Woodside St. Pats For All parade is scheduled to kick off on March 6th 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.
The St. Pats For All parade is arguably the community’s most popular event. When it began 12 years ago, it 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 don’t want to be an isolated group celebrating our Irish uniqueness,” said Brendan Fay, a co-chair with Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy. Instead, “We want it to be about Irish culture with a focus on building a bridge to different groups in the neighborhood.”
“When we say St. Pats for all, we mean it,” Fay said.
“We want all local groups to join us in the parade,” he said, and urges community groups to go to the http://stpatsforall.com website and register to march under their own banner.
“We have Mexican, Bolivian, Ecuadorian and Chilean groups coming — and we really want children’s groups, theater groups and seniors to march,” Fay said. “We want everyone to come.”
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.
This year’s parade is similar to previous years in that it is being run on an extremely low budget by a cash-starved group.
However, for the first time, there will be some city funding to ease the burden. Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer and Daniel Dromm are both allocating $3,500 each toward the parade.
But it comes with a catch. The money isn’t likely to reach the group until after the parade takes place.
In the meantime, Fay has to pay bands, cover the cost of portable toilet rentals, and find the funds to pay for the cost of printing posters.
DETAILS
Takes place
Sunday, March 6
People assemble for the parade at 1:30 for music (46th and Skillman)
Parade begins at 2:00 at 47th and Skillman
Ends: 58th Street and Woodside Ave.
Contact:
Brendan Fay (718) 721-2780 or Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy (718) 898-8140
