The Village of New Hyde Park and New Hyde Park Fire Department will host the village’s inaugural St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday.
Starting at 10 a.m., the parade will travel east on Jericho Turnpike before ending at the firehouse located at 1555 Jericho.
“This celebration will provide our community the opportunity to show our gratitude to all our dedicated first responders,” Mayor Christopher Devane said in a letter to residents. “We are asking all first responders to join us in the line of march. As for our community, we invite you to come out in your best green attire and cheer on all the heroes marching that day.”
Devane recognized the January deaths of New York Police Officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera and said Saturday will be a chance to honor them and the village’s first responders.
“As the proud son of a former NYPD officer, it is both heartbreaking and sickening,” Devane said. “The physical and verbal assaults on all our police officers must end. They are our everyday heroes and put their lives on the line to protect us. The time has come to celebrate and honor their service as well as all our first responders.”
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder will be the grand marshal on Saturday.
“He personifies the courage, intelligence, integrity and commitment to excellence that all police officers strive to achieve,” Devane said. “Commissioner Ryder is a role model to our community and to all the officers under his command.”
Ryder is also participating in Wantagh’s parade in the same role on Sunday, March 20.
Devane, who is a volunteer firefighter, was elected in 2021 and has helped recognize more cultures in the village. In November, the village held a Diwali festival of lights celebration. He told Newsday he hopes to turn this into a new tradition.
“The more you talk about backgrounds and traditions and even foods … the more you realize that we have so much more in common than we do apart,” Devane told Newsday. “We want to bring people together and make them realize they don’t have to leave the Village of New Hyde Park to have fun.”
Visitors will be greeted at the firehouse on 1555 Jericho with refreshments.
Efforts to reach officials for comment were unavailing.