2013 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Draws Record Crowds

(Editor's Note: Article and photos by Geoffrey Walter)

The Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk & Queens’ St. Patrick’s Day parade returned to Mineola for the second straight year Sunday, drawing an estimated larger crowd for its 63rd incarnation.

With upwards of 40 groups, organizations and schools marching this year, the parade lasted close to two hours, winding its way through Mineola. The parade last stepped off in Garden City in 2011.

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 groups 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.

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 and the Portuguese society, members of the Mineola American Legion and VFW, bagpipers as well as numerous local officials.