The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is an ongoing tradition in Syracuse that began in an earlier century then mysteriously disappeared. But, in 1982, Nancy Duffy gathered a group of friends to revive the parade.  

 One of those friends was Janet Higgins, current president of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Higgins said Duffy was “thoroughly Irish” and was determined to bring about the resurgence of the parade in central New York. 

 The city of Syracuse will hold its 38th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade this Saturday at noon. A lengthy, multi-faceted planning process goes into the annual march, Higgins said. She vividly remembered the first revival parade.  

 “Some of the dignitaries from the city stayed in their offices and looked out the window and saw that actually we had enough people from the parade,” Higgins said. “Then, they came down and joined us.”  

 Since its first iteration, many other major aspects have been added to the parade, and planning for the following year’s event happens promptly after the streets are cleared from that year’s festivities, Higgins said.  

 Higgins said one of the first parts in the planning process is creating a theme for the parade.  This year, volunteer Bridget Dunn said the theme is “20/20: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.” This is followed by registration for the floats in February and then intricate positioning of each musical act and dance group in the parade. 

 Next, the committee is tasked with selecting individuals to be honored at the parade. Vice President James “Curly” Cahill said there are two grand marshals — esteemed and appointed leaders of the parade — and a Gael of the Year. Cahill added that the gael is a member of the community who is not usually Irish but is honored for the contributions they have made to the Syracuse community. 

 In keeping with the theme of storytelling, the two grand marshals are journalist Sean Kirst and photographer John Francis McCarthy. The Gael of the Year is John Tumino, owner of the nonprofit In My Father’s Kitchen.  

 Tumino said he was excited to be marching in the parade and hopes to spread the word about his nonprofit that provides food and shelter to homeless people in Syracuse. 

 SU alumna Emily Mahana will also participate in the parade. Since she was little, Mahana has performed Irish step-dancing routines during many of her childhood St. Patrick’s Day parades. Mahan is honored with being the Rose of Syracuse. 

 As the Rose of Syracuse, she will be attending several galas and a performance from a local Irish dance school over the course of the weekend.  

 Mahana and her family are very excited for her involvement and the parade in general. Her aunt and cousin may even pay a visit to Syracuse from Buffalo for all the dancing and festivities, she said.  

 “I’m most excited about (the parade) because Irish culture has just been such a big part of my life growing up,” Mahana said. “It’s really meaningful to me.” 

 For Higgins, though, the festivities are a balance between family and professional affairs.  

 With Duffy’s contributions being such an integral part of the parade, however, Higgins pays homage to Duffy’s wishes by limiting the amount of vehicles in the parade. The city also changes the name of Salina Street to Nancy Duffy Lane.  

 Duffy was motivated by pride of her Irish-American heritage, and the parade continues to honor that. 

 “The parade is not about drinking. It’s about celebrating your Irish heritage and celebrating the beginning of spring,” Higgins said.  

Published on March 10, 2020 at 11:17 pm

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