St. Pat's Parade and Irish Fair

January, 2008

"cherishing all the children of the nation equally..."
Proclamation of the Irish Republic, Easter 1916

St Pats For all 2008
c/o 22-22 28th St
Astoria NY 11105-2702

On behalf of the organizers of the inclusive St. Patrick's celebration in New York we are happy to invite you to join our festival on March 2nd, 2008 in Queens, New York. (Click here for directions on getting to the parade!)

Our 2008 St. Pat's For All Parade and Festival extends for a week of community forums, film screenings, local schools concerts of traditional music dance and storytelling. The highlight of our festival will be our 9th annual parade and Irish fair on March 2nd.

Many people in the communities here enjoy the energy and spirit that the St. Pat's For All parade and fair brings to the schools and streets of Sunnyside and Woodside!

As for the past seven years the theme of the 2008 St Patrick's festival is "cherishing all the children of the nation equally". Taken from the proclamation of Easter 1916, it is as meaningful today, 92 years after it was written.

We celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Whether for spiritual quest, banishment, exile, a longing for adventure or in the pursuit of dreams the Irish diaspora have gone from the small isle of Eire to all corners of the globe. So we gather on March 2nd in Sunnyside as diverse communities of New Yorkers to celebrate Ireland. Among the puppeteers, dancers and stilt walkers will be community groups reflecting the ethnic diversity of Queens celebrating Ireland. Queens NACCP will carry the banner of Frederick Douglas recalling his visit to Ireland during the famine. The Mexican community honors the San Patricios, Irish immigrants who defended the Mexicans in the U.S. Mexican War of 1846-1848. Others will recall Thomas Charles Wright founder of the Ecuadorian Navy, who hailed from Drogheda, Ireland. The presence of Choctaw and Shinnecock representatives will refect the generous outreach in 1847 by native peoples to the starving Irish during the great famine.

Among the sponsors and supporters of the parade are Local 1199, Dignity NY and of course locals who donated time and talent as well as many dollars. The Queens branch of the Red Cross will once again bring tea and hot chocolate for everybody. Banners will honor the memory of Irish women peacemakers from Brigid to Dorothy Day, from Catherine McCauley and Margaret Anna Cusack to Mother Jones and Eileen Egan. Religious participants include Methodist Church, the Episcopal Franciscan “Society of St. Francis”, Catholic Worker, Dignity/NY, Metropolitan Community Church. Alumni of Notre Dame and St. John’s University will march. Students from TCI will carry giant puppets. The children of the community represented by Irish dancers and boys and girls clubs will lead the parade up the avenue. Backing for the parade has also come from city unions and labor leaders - LOCAL 1199, the United Federation of Teachers, The Central Labor Council and Local 375 DC 37.

The Irish community of Queens hosts the city's only parade to welcome lesbian and gay contingents. The March 2nd parade continues a rare spirit of hospitality and welcome that began with the 2000 parade historical breakthrough. Other participating Irish groups and businesses include the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance, Lavender & Green Alliance, a New York - based Irish lesbian and gay group, the Brehon Law Society, the Irish Parades Emergency Committee, The Keltic Dreamers and the All City School marching Band. We're especially excited in welcoming a group honoring Irish marriage equality pioneers, Drs. Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan.

Community youth groups will join as drummers and puppeteers. We look forward to drawing on your creative community and artistic leadership skills. We also hope to get you on the airwaves on some of the local and national television and radio stations. We are looking to do a broadcast via the internet so that friends in Ireland and around the world can link up as the celebration takes place.

All of this ensures maximum visibility.

On a limited budget wise we are doing everything we can to bring a vibrant and unique expression of Irish and spirit and culture to New York’s Skillman Ave.

We invite you to join us.

Here are some of the ways you can help:

Add your name to the list of endorsers.

Send a donation of $200 (full page ad) or $100 (a half page) or $10 for a line in the Parade Journal.

Make checks or money orders payable to "St. Patrick's Parade of Queens, NY"

Mail to:

St Pats For all ‘07
c/o 22-22 28th St
Astoria NY 11105-2702

Join our planning meetings, tel. Brendan (718) 721-2780 or Barbara (718) 591-5717 for more information.

Pass on the good word about the parade by e-mail, copy.

Questions or comments about the parade? Send us an e-mail by clicking on this link.

Thank you for enthusiasm. Your help is essential to make this historical event happen. Above all though, we look forward to hearing from you, and come next March 2nd, marching together or cheering us along the parade route as in the best of Irish tradition we "cherish all the children of the nation equally".

Le Meas

Brendan Fay
Barbara Mohr

Co-Chairs