Columbus Day Parade Set for Sunday

Huntington’s annual Columbus Day parade will step off on Main Street Sunday at noon, passing by Heckscher Park where the Long Island Fall Festival will be under way.

Many members of the state Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America will join in the 20th annual parade marking the organization’s 113th anniversary. The theme for this year’s parade is Columbus … The Legacy Continues.

Members of over 24 lodges in Nassau and Suffolk will be marching.

Parade Chairman Keith Wilson, who has been organizing the event for the past six years, said “We’re looking forward to a great turnout again this year for the 20th anniversary of the parade!” “It is a special day for both the participants and the thousands of people who line the streets,” he added. He also noted, “It is important to continue the parade to keep the Italian traditions alive. We want to respect our founder who discovered America and to make sure the legacy continues.”

The 1.5-mile parade route starts at the intersection of Park Avenue and West Main Street and continues to West Neck Road and West Main Street.

Several high school marching bands will participate, including East Meadow High School, W.T. Trespar Clarke High School, Walt Whitman High School, Islip High School, Deer Park High School and others.

Grand marshals for the parade are NYS OSDIA President Robert M. Ferrito, Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, News 12 Anchor Antoinette Biordi, and Dr. Vito DeSimone, Ph.D., Italian Media Personality.

Leave a Reply