Rockville Centre prepares for 2024 St. Patrick's Day Parade

The Village of Rockville Centre is buzzing with excitement in preparation for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 23. Considered to be one of the largest parades on Long Island, hundreds are expected to be in attendance this weekend for the two-hour festivities, which will kick off at noon.

“We are truly very excited about this year’s Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade,” Jackie Kerr, president of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, said. “It’s hard to believe this will be our 27th year marching down Maple Avenue and we’re anticipating a record crowd.”

Greg Schaefer, president and chief executive officer of Better Home Health Care Agency in Rockville Centre, will lead the procession as this year’s parade grand marshal.

“I am most excited to be marching amongst family and friends in our wonderful Village of Rockville Centre,” Schaefer said.

His selection as the grand marshal marks a significant milestone in the parade’s history, as he becomes the youngest individual to be bestowed with the honor at 49.

“We’re thrilled to be honoring our Grand Marshal Greg Schaefer, a Rockville Centre resident and local businessman, who also works tirelessly behind the scenes with so many community initiatives,” Kerr said.

Better Home Health Care has provided at-home patient care for individuals living on the south shore of Long Island since 1987. During the last six years, under Schaefer’s leadership, the agency has flourished, garnering a reputation as one of the leading providers of home health care in the region.

Schaefer’s involvement in community initiatives extends beyond his professional endeavors. For the past decade, he has been an active member of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and he previously served as president of the Chamber of Commerce from 2014 to 2017.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, in keeping with its tradition as the “Parade that cares and shares,” selects three charities each year — one local, one national, and one Irish — to benefit from the organization’s fundraising efforts. Since 1997, the committee has raised more than $1.6 million for different charities.

In the weeks leading up to the parade, the committee held a series of fundraising events to raise money for Beyond the Badge, the Limb Kind Foundation and the Crocus Cancer Support Centre in County Monaghan, Ireland. These organizations address critical issues including mental health awareness among first responders, providing prosthetic care to children suffering limb loss, and offering peer support for cancer survivors.

“What means the most about the parade is that all of the proceeds leading up to the parade will be shared amongst three amazing charities,” Schaefer said. “The ability to help all of these amazing organizations in their missions is what makes this parade that ‘cares and shares’ one of a kind.”

The parade itself promises to be a vibrant display of Irish culture and community spirit, beginning with a 9 a.m. morning Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral, before the procession commences along Maple Avenue at noon.

“It’s going to be a wonderful day,” Rockville Centre Mayor Francis X. Murray said. “There will be multiple Irish pipe bands, fire departments and many organizations participating.” 

This year’s parade will also take place in memory of Bud Cosgrove, a local legend and a parade co-founder, who died in February. A beloved member of the community, Cosgrove spent a lot of time and energy to make sure the parade that “cares and shares” carries on his legacy.

“We are looking forward to seeing sunshine and thousands of smiling faces on March 23rd,” Kerr said.

The parade will kick off from the municipal parking lot on Sunrise Highway and proceed east, turning left on North Long Beach Road, followed by another left on Maple Avenue. At the end of Maple, marchers will turn right on North Park Avenue, then left on College Place, passing St. Agnes Cathedral on Quealey Place, then left on North Village Avenue and right on Washington Street, where the parade will end.

Police barricades will be posted along the parade route from noon to 2 p.m., including several roadways that will be closed to traffic in order to ensure the safety of participants and parade attendees. There will be no parking along the parade route, and no parking on North Long Beach Road between Sunrise and Water Street. Motorists are advised to relocate their vehicles from the route before 8 a.m. Those needing to gain access across Sunrise Highway will have to continue towards Grand Avenue in Baldwin.