Crowds lined Main Street as the Bay Area community gathered to celebrate the annual Center Moriches St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the hamlet’s most popular traditions.
The 22nd annual parade stepped off on a brisk March day, featuring local organizations, civic groups, marching bands, and decorated floats that made their way through the downtown corridor in a festive celebration of Irish heritage and community pride.
Virginia “Ginny” Tyson served as this year’s grand marshal. A lifelong Center Moriches resident, Tyson has spent decades contributing to the community through education and public service. She graduated from Center Moriches High School and later earned degrees in elementary education and early literacy from Dowling College.
Over the years, Tyson has played a major role in local civic life, serving 12 years as a member of the Center Moriches School Board and 32 years as a trustee of the Center Moriches Library Board. Her longtime commitment to the community made her a fitting choice to lead this year’s parade.
The parade is organized each year by The Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches, which selects a grand marshal based on character, integrity, and a long record of service to the community. The event also featured Irish Princess Clara Tebbens, who serves as both a captain and first singles player on the Center Moriches Girls Varsity Tennis Team. One of her greatest passions is music as she is a top-ranked All State Tenor saxophonist and plays in ensembles across Long Island and New York. She is also the ex-offico student member on the Board of Education.
Two prominent Center Moriches residents also marched in the procession: Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine.
Several past grand marshals returned to take part in the celebration, including Gerri Sapanaro, Joe McHeffey, Mark Danowski, Lee Sinnickson, Art Gerhauser, and George Keller, adding to the sense of tradition that has become a hallmark of the event.
The parade continues to grow as a community gathering, drawing families and visitors to Main Street each year to honor Irish culture and hometown pride. Celebration focal points were Buckley’s Irish Pub, Sea Cove Restaurant, and the Country Cottage Diner where Amy Weinhauer and Jill Vigliarolo kept guests warm with good cheer.