A group of locals are working hard to give the Bayside community a St. Patrick’s Day celebration of its own.
Organizer and resident Kieran Mahoney said a parade in the neighborhood has been long overdue.
“This was kind of a thing that people in Bayside have dreamed about for years,” he said. “I’ve gone to different parades in different places in the past and I thought, ‘Why not bring this here?’”
Mahoney and other members of the formed Bayside St. Patrick’s Day Committee have been talking about organizing the event for about a year and a half. Now, the group is close to seeing the event become a reality.
“[The parade] will be a really community-based event — and not just for the Irish community,” Mahoney said. “It’ll be a feel-good event for everyone to enjoy.”
The family-friendly parade is slated to take place on March 24, 2018, beginning at 10 a.m. along Bell Boulevard between 35th and 41st avenues. The organizers are working to get local schools, Irish organizations, pipe bands and other groups actively involved.
Mahoney said Bayside was the perfect place to bring such an event for a number of reasons.
“Bayside has a very strong community presence already,” he said. “Everyone kind of knows each other here, and there’s been a very strong Irish-American presence here for some time.”
The organizers will be hosting a fundraiser for the parade at Monahan & Fitzgerald tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 14. For $40, attendees can enjoy three hours of beer, wine and soda, hors d’oeuvres, a dinner buffet and live music for a good cause. The event will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at the bar and restaurant at 214-17 41st Ave.
Other fundraisers to help cover the parade’s operating costs will be organized in the coming months, Mahoney said.
Those interested in getting involved with the parade or getting event updates can visit this Facebook page or contact Mahoney at 917-476-7057 or mahoneybayside[at]gmail.com.
