Thursday, October 1, 2026
As Memorial Day parades were being canceled across the region due to the inclement weather on Monday morning, a dedicated group of marchers led a procession from the Valley Stream Fire Department headquarters, on Rockaway Parkway, to the Veterans Memorial on the Village Green.
Most groups that had planned to participate in the parade canceled, but the firefighters, baton twirlers and others who marched were greeted along the parade route by enthusiastic spectators.
“I was shocked at how many people actually showed up,” said Mayor Ed Fare.
The gray skies spared the attendees any rain, and Grand Marshal Jack Sharkey, a Korean War veteran and a former village trustee, led the solemn ceremony at the memorial. The names of Valley Streamers who left for war and never returned home were read, and Fare offered remarks in memory of America’s fallen military personnel.
“Memorial Day in Valley Stream is always an important time to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service to our nation,” he said. “We enjoy our freedoms because of them and the many who put themselves in harm’s way so that we may continue to live in peace here on the home front. Our heartfelt thanks to them all. We stand with them and with the loved ones they leave behind.”
