The hamlet of Patchogue officially kicked off the Christmas season on Saturday, November 26 with their annual Christmas Parade. The event immediately followed the Thanksgiving holiday in a major commencement of the hallmark winter holiday.
Most of Main Street stretching from Waverly Avenue down to Medford Avenue was shut down by police, and the rest of the town was deadlocked with traffic as early as 4:00 p.m., with the festivities starting at 6:00 p.m.
The event was semi-headlined by the Atlantic Wind Community Band, led by longtime conductor and schoolteacher Ed Albinski, with many members wearing Santa hats and festive gear. It was the final performance before the group’s permanent dissolution.
The band sat under the marquee of the Patchogue Theatre for Performing Arts and played fan-favorite Christmas tunes to set the mood before the parade began, featuring such standards as “Sleigh Ride,” “The Christmas Song” and “Joy to the World.” More complex arrangements came in the form of An Irving Berlin Christmas – a compilation of holiday music from the famous Russian-American composer – as well as an arrangement of Leon Jessel’s Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.
The band continued to play as the parade started, stopping when other groups had their own musical acts and starting for opportune moments, most notably with “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” as the final float, with St. Nick himself ending the event.
Floats were as elaborate as they were numerous. One float pictured a cutout of an ice castle with ice sculptures and lights displays to boot. Another float consisted of a “horse-drawn” carriage that resembled a giant snow globe being pulled through the street. Perhaps the most impressive was that of a massive steam locomotive dubbed “The Hagerman Express” on the engine and an emblem reading “In loving memory of Rob Taraskas” on the cab.
Several floats featured inflatable holiday characters, such as the Grinch, Santa Claus, members of the Rankin & Bass TV Classics and a few of the characters from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.
Additional floats had displays and acts of their own. A couple of emcees to each display sang classic Christmas tunes, with one float towering over the street that appeared to feature a Marilyn Monroe lookalike at its top.
Some floats had fake snow sprinklers, bubble machines and sparkler displays.
Two floats focused on the religious aspects of the holiday, one being a large flatbed of characters in costume and position to recreate The Last Supper, and another resembling the famous Nativity scene under a stable, attended by the Wise Men as well.
Various groups also had their displays, with local school districts boasting marching bands and local dance troupes displaying tap and theatre routines.
Decorated jalopies honked their cartoonish 1930s-style horns at onlookers as the Knights of Columbus of Patchogue carried their own banner.
The Long Island Ducks even had their own float, with the venerable Quacker Jack himself in attendance.
The Blue Point Brewery also ran a float, with multiple points of advertising audible complete with a snow machine.
The fire departments of Hagerman, Euclid, Blue Point, Bayport, Holtsville and Medford contributed trucks, strung completely with lights and decorations, to the parade as well.
The parade ended with the float carrying Santa Claus, and the Atlantic Winds played the crowd off with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
Throughout the entirety of the night, vendors marched up and down the street before, during and after the parade, with carts full of snacks, drinks, toys, merchandise and other trinkets/souvenirs.
The hamlet of Patchogue itself was dressed up for the occasion, with all the trees lining Main Street wrapped in white Christmas lights and many storefronts with garland, tinsel, wreaths and the like contributing to the scene.
All in all, it was a great event, with the entire town and then some coming out for fun. With mild temperatures and little wind, it was easily enjoyed by many.
