By:Angela Marshall
Thousands are expected to line the streets for the fifth annual St. Patrick's Parade on Saturday, March 24. Pipe bands, twirlers, classic cars and much more will have the crowds on their feet cheering for hours this weekend.
According to coordinators, this year's parade will be even bigger than last year's, with 92 units marching.
The parade will step off at noon from North Long Beach Road at Sunrise Highway and march west along Maple Avenue, pass Village Hall and St. Agnes Cathedral and end in parking field 2 between Village and Centre avenues.
There will be two reviewing stands this year. Parade judges will be in the parking lot across from the cathedral, where they will observe, rate and award participants.
A second stand will be installed at the opposite end of the parking lot, facing Front Street. At the end of the parade, a new Massed Band celebration has been planned. Thirteen of the 19 pipe bands in the parade will participate in this production.
Joan MacNaughton, head of parade management, said she has seen massed bands at the end of other parades and thought it would work well in Rockville Centre. The group will perform Amazing Grace. Then, this year's winning pipe band will be announced and its sergeant will lead two additional songs.
The Amityville Highland American Legion Pipe Band, which came in first place last year, will lead the parade.
Also new to the parade this year is the Lions Club float. In honor of the club's annual duck race, members designed an 18-foot-long duck.
The Dynamic Twirling Association will make its debut performance. Members intend to twirl the entire route, according to MacNaughton, who said They're unbelievable.
Crowd-pleasers making a return are the airplane from Baldwin's Pilot Shop, the wolfhounds and the stilt walker.
Spectators should plan to arrive early to secure a good spot along the route. The Department of Public Works will paint a green stripe down the middle of the streets being used, labeling the parade route in advance.
This year's grand marshal will be William Flynn, chairman of the board of Mutual of America. Flynn, of Garden City, has also been involved in the peace process in North Ireland, according to parade coordinators.
The three charities that will benefit from this year's parade are Bridges to Peace, a non-profit organization working to bring peace in Northern Ireland; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the St. Agnes Parish Service Center.
In addition to the parade, there is the Grand Marshal's Reception at 8 p.m. Friday, March 23, at the Rockville Links Country Club, Long Beach Road. Call (516) 764-8729 for reservations. A commemorative Mass will be held at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, prior to the parade, at St. Agnes Cathedral.
