Celebrating Ragamuffin’s 47th year

Children of all ages are ready to dress up collectively on September 29th and hop around the streets of Bay Ridge, for a parade exclusively made for them.

The Ragamuffin parade has been a “major youth event,” for over four decades, said Ted General, committee member and columnist for this paper at Sunday’s Ragamuffin luncheon, widely attended by members of the community.

“There is no age requirement. Kids enjoy it and look forward to dressing up,” General added.

The luncheon, held at the Bay Ridge Manor honored this year’s Grand Marshall, Arlene Figaro and Person of the Year John Abi-Habib and acted as a fund raising event.

“Forty-six years of beautiful smiles,” said Colleen Golden, the president of the Ragamuffin parade’s committee. “On this day, everyone’s smiling, even the spectators.”

Golden admitted that she was impressed with the attendance. “I have not seen such a crowd in five years, when we had 240 people,” describing that the tradition will stay the same this year, with a new school marching, called Dynamic Dance Academy, located at 8302 13th Avenue.

“It is such a happy occasion,” commented Abi-Habib, who has been involved in the parade for 15 years. His son, Michael, 14, and daughter, Jenna, 8, participate every year.

If your child wishes to participate, registration and consent forms are available at the following locations: the offices of City Councilmember Vincent Gentile and Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny, 8703 3rd Avenue; Senator Marty Golden and Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, 7408 5th Avenue; Representative Michael Grimm, 7308 13th Avenue; at two Carvel Ice Cream Stores, 8612 and 7400 3rd Avenue, and the offices of this newspaper, 8723 3rd Avenue.