Engines, Sirens, Drums, Horns: The Joyful Sounds Of St. Patrick’s Day
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By Barrett Seaman–
The 30th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade from Main Street, Tarrytown to Sleepy Hollow’s Beekman Avenue once again drew crowds of three to four thousand to watch more than a thousand marchers ranging from local government officials to high school bands, Central American dancers in bright costumes, scouts, fire departments and of course kilt-clad members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Two prominent local figures stood out: Frank Farrington, the parade’s Grand Marshal, and Hugh Francis, a.k.a the Headless Horseman.
By tradition, the parade led off with motorcycles manned by cops from around the region. They were followed by equally representative fire trucks and ambulances, prompting some watching along Broadway to hope that no fires broke out in Westchester or Rockland Counties.
The mayors and trustees not only of the host villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow but of neighboring communities, including the Towns of Mt. Pleasant and Greenburgh and adjacent villages. Elmsford, though not contiguous with the rivertown hosts, had a particularly large contingent from the village’s police and DPW, principals and other school administrators and the high school band.
Sports teams, including the Ardsley softball team and Sleepy Hollow Horsemen football team members who rode in the back of a truck after reaching the state finals in Syracuse last fall.
The hallmark of the parade was the number and quality of the bands. The Police Emerald Society of Westchester’s Pipes & Drums Corps in colorful kilts; the Wholly Brassmen, the Black Dynasty Marching Band, the Blue Angels Drumline & Royalty Dance Team and the Tappan Zee Bridgemen were separated from one another to minimize musical overlaps. Though the strains of such Irish favorites as Danny Boy and MacNamara’s Band could be heard, so too could other, not-so-Irish tunes like Summertime from Porgy and Bess and the Marine Corp Hymn.
Dancers—especially those from the area’s Latin community—drew loud applauses from crowds lining Broadway as well as occasional audience participation. Among the groups were Carnival Group Los Frailes, the Failte Festival Band, Groupo Altagraciani and the Blue Angels Drumline and Royalty Dance Team.
Charitable groups from the area were well represented. RHSM, the Tarrytown-based Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, which runs the Life Center on Beekman Avenue, Irvington’s O-Hara Foundation, which operates the Nature Center on Mountain Road, the Horsemen’s Harvest Food Pantry, and bringing up the rear, a truckful of supporters of Gullotta House, the Briarcliff Manor-based nonprofit helping distressed families and individuals.
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