The 18th Annual Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade is this Sunday on East Tremont Avenue.
The parade steps off at noon at East Tremont and Lafayette avenues on Sunday, March 13, and marches past a reviewing stand that will be located at Harding and East Tremont avenues.
This year’s grand marshals are community activists and Gaelic football enthusiasts Dave and Noreen Kilkenny, and honored clergy is Fr. Christopher Devron, president of Fordham Prep.
Along with the Kilkennys and Devron, families of 21 honorary grand marshals, community leaders who recently passed away, will be marching to honor their deceased loved ones.
Noreen Kilkenny said before the display of community pride that she hopes that the parade is a great opportunity for people of the borough to have a family day and celebrate the Irish contributions to the community and city.
“It is for people of all cultures, and we just want everyone to come out and have a fun time with their family,” said Noreen Kilkenny, adding that the parade is an opportunity for the community residents to get to know each other and celebrate Throggs Neck’s blessings.
The grand marshal stressed the religious aspect of the holiday, which is named for the patron saint of Ireland. This year’s parade will be preceded as it always is with a Mass at St. Benedict Church.
“I hope to see everyone at the Mass,” she said. “Religion is a big part of the Irish culture. We want to preserve that and be thankful for our blessings.”
John Peragine, the son of honorary grand marshal George Peragine, said that his father always enjoyed going to the Throggs Neck St. Patrick Day Parade, often taking part in the festive cavalcade as part of one of several bands that march every year and provide much of the event’s ‘soundtrack.’
“(The parade) is just a good way for people to connect with each other and with the community,” said John Peragine.
Peragine, who was part of the local music scene with groups like the New York Ancients, Edgewater Park Colonials and Silver Beach Colonials, would have been immensely honored to know that his life was being celebrated by this parade in his community, his son said.
Peragine lived in Edgewater Park.
The honorary grand marshals for the parade are: Margaret Babcock, Carol Boyle, Monica Burns, John Byrne, Charlie Capezuti, Robert Connolly, Dan Cotter, Ann Devany, Elizabeth Kelleher, Thomas Laughlin, Michael Martz, John Mullins, Joseph Murphy, Teresa O’Hara, Daniel O’Shea, Peragine, Benny Randazzo, Anthony Riccardella, Mildred Scott, Ethel Tarpey and Alice Tell.
