Friday, October 23, 2026
The New York Racing Association and the Elmont Chamber of Commerce announced the return of the Paul Sapienza Elmont/Belmont Parade, scheduled for Saturday, June 7.
This year marks the 17th edition of the community event, a news release about the parade said, which traditionally kicks off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and celebrates the Elmont community. The parade is named for the late Paul Sapienza, a lifelong Elmont resident and former president of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce.
Although the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held for the second year at Saratoga Race Course due to ongoing construction at Belmont Park, the news release said, the parade will follow its traditional route down Hempstead Turnpike, ending at Belmont Park.
According to the news release, this is the first time in its history that the parade will take place on Belmont Stakes Day.
The parade will begin at approximately 10 a.m., the news release said, with marchers stepping off from the parking lot of the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex at 700 Hempstead Turnpike and proceeding west to The Park at UBS Arena, located in the Belmont Park backyard.
This year’s grand marshal is Tiffany Capers, NYRA announced in the news release, who is president of the Elmont Board of Education. Participants will include elected officials, local leaders, marching bands from Elmont public schools, members of the police and fire departments, and local youth organizations.
In addition to honoring Capers with a key to the hamlet of Elmont, the post-parade event will include a performance by the Sewanhaka High School Marching Band and highlight the artistic talent of the Elmont community. Students from the Elmont Union Free and Sewanhaka Central High School districts, the news release said, were invited to showcase their creativity while celebrating the rich history of Elmont and the excitement of the third leg of the Triple Crown. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runners-up in each grade.
Those interested in marching in this year’s parade should assemble at 9:30 a.m. at the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex. According to the news release, participants can look forward to free food, prizes and giveaways at the finish. The parade route is approximately 1.5 miles.
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 4, through Sunday, June 8. The 157th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets on June 7, will headline the event.
The festival will feature 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000, which, according to the news release, are the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the festival’s launch in 2014.
For more information about the 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, visit BelmontStakes.com.
