Bay Ridge celebrates halfway to St. Patrick’s Day

Bay Ridge broke out the Irish spirit early, in honor of the neighborhood’s 2016 St. Patrick’s Day parade, the city’s second largest.

On Sunday October 18, local watering hole the Salty Dog, on Third Avenue near Bay Ridge Parkway, hosted the  put together by the parade committee.

During the celebration, the honorees for the 2016 Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade were announced, beginning with Grand Marshal James McHugh. Deputy marshals include Rhea McCone, Maura Coughlin, Kathy Burke, Rita Galvin, Brian Kelly, Patrick Harkin, Peter Whalen Sr., Patrick McEvoy and the Canny Brothers Band, a popular Irish rock band that has played many dinner dances for the committee and has also helped the committee in its efforts to fund scholarships to support Catholic education.

President of the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade Frankie Marra told this paper, “The parade has gotten very popular. People from the community come out to support it.”

The evening, which attracted many supporters, included performances by a variety of bands, including the Brooklyn Bards whose set list consisted of traditional Irish music to enhance the mood of the night, as well as bagpipers. In addition,the parade committee sold raffles whose prizes included New York Ranger tickets.

“The goal of the parade,” Marra said, “is to celebrate Irish heritage along with the spirit of St. Patrick.” He stressed that each of the 2016 honorees “exemplifies” that.

The funds raised at the event will be earmarked for the parade’s operating costs as well as for the scholarships that the Parade Committee is now awarding to Catholic school students.

The 2016 Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Sunday March 20, and will run along Third Avenue, kicking off at Marine Avenue and continuing down to 67th Street. The parade will start at 1 p.m. For more info, visit www.bayridgestpatricksday.com.