The ’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade returned for the second straight year to Mineola, drawing an estimated larger crowd for its 63rd incarnation.
“I think it’s a slightly bigger crowd,” Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, commented after observing the crowds lined along Jericho Turnpike near the viewing platform.
With upwards of 40 groups, organizations and schools marching this year, the parade lasted close to two hours, winding its way through the village whereas in years past it had shared hosting duties with Garden City until last year when it was switched exclusively to Mineola.
While there were sunny skies, the only real complaint that many parade-goers had was the frigid temperatures, some estimated at or just above freezing level.
Many of the members of the croups participating huddled together or stayed moving about as much as possible to keep warm in the parking lot behind the Nassau County Courthouse until the parade started shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
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Crowds lined Mineola Boulevard and Jericho Turnpike to see many of the groups, including bands from Mineola High School, the Chaminade pipe & drum band, fire departments and EMS personnel from Mineola and Williston Park, local Gaelic societies, Knights of Columbus, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s in Garden City, dancers from both the Donny Goldon School of Irish Dance, the Ryan Irish Dance Academy and the Portuguese society, members of the Mineola American Legion and VFW, bagpipers as well as numerous local officials.
Way to go girls!