Greenwich Celebrates St. Patrick's Day on Sunday

You can get in one last celebration of the Irish at the 40th annual Greenwich St. Patrick’s Parade this weekend.

Sponsored by the Greenwich Hibernian Association, the parade will kick off at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 23 at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd. The parade will be led by Grand Marshal William 'Bill' Gallagher, a Greenwich businessman who grew up across the border in Port Chester, NY.

Marking the start of the parade will be Greenwich Police Marine Technician Sean Fox who will blow the ceremonial whistle. Gallagher and his aides, Michael Hyland, Mark Hyland, Joe Gavin, Jim Loughran and Dick O’Connell, will lead the parade up Field Point Road to West Putnam Avenue, then up West Putnam to the top of Greenwich Avenue. The parade will then proceed all the way down Greenwich Avenue, with the official reviewing stand will be across from the Greenwich Senior Center.

The parade is run by volunteers from the Greenwich Hibernian Association and led by Parade Chair Patricia Wilson. The organization raises funds to pay for the parade which costs more than $12,000 to put on each year.

A large number of former Grand Marshals are expected to march in recognition of the parade's 40th anniversary. Local school and civic organizations will be well represented as well as traditional bagpipe bands including the Greenwich’s own Greenwich Pipe Band along with Fairfield Gaelic Pipe Band and the Westchester County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes and Drums. Greenwich High School and Port Chester High School will be represented by their marching bands. The Tappan Zee Bridgemen and the Tarrytown VFW Drum Corps also will march.

Local police and fire departments are scheduled to march, and perennial crowd favorite, the Pyramid Shriners will zip around in the mini-cars. There will be clowns and the balloon man to entertain the young children.

Irish step dancers from the Pender-Keady Academy in Stamford and Anam Cara Dance School of Stamford and New Canaan will perform. There will be several floats built by local organizations including the Greenwich Rotary Club, The Order of Redmen, Greenwich Land Trust, Max Marine, the Knights of Columbus and the American Red Cross.  

Wells Fargo will once again send its famous stagecoach and Rudy’s Executive Transportation will send a selection of vintage cars. Three local radio stations, 1490 WGCH, 95.9 The Fox and Star 99.9 will all have representatives in the Parade.