Troy, NY (May 10) – Mayor Carmella Mantello and community leaders announced today that the City of Troy and partners are reviving the annual Memorial Day Parade.
“We are so excited to be able to bring the Memorial Day Parade back to Troy to honor our local veterans who have dedicated their lives to protect our freedoms,” said Mayor Mantello. “These events unite our community and build pride in our city.”
The parade will be held on Memorial Day, May 27th starting at 1 p.m. It will travel from Knickerbacker Park to Powers Park, where a cookout and celebration will be held at Forty-One Sports Grille. The event will feature recruiting tables, youth activities (i.e. balloon animals, face painting), a cookout with the Troy Fire and Police Departments, and other activities.
In addition, the parade will feature the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, a Canadian infantry reserve regiment based in the Niagara Region of Ontario. The regiment traces its history back 230 years to Butler’s Rangers from Upstate New York and Pennsylvania. The Warrant Officers and Sergeants of the regiment have a long-standing relationship with the Veterans of Lansingburgh and attended the Memorial Day parade for over 20 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. They, along with other local veterans, organizations and community leaders, are thrilled to see the parade make its return.
PJ Higgit, a local veteran and advocate, said, “From a community standpoint, the parade is an important event that will help remind people to pause and remember the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending our great nation. Their sacrifice is the reason we are able to live in the most free and democratic country in the world.”
President of Lansingburgh Central School District Board of Education Andrea Fairhurst said, “Reviving the Memorial Day parade in Troy is a testament to our community's deep respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It's a chance for us to come together, not just as neighbors, but as a community bound by shared values and gratitude. This parade is our way of saying 'thank you' to every hero, past and present, and ensuring their memory lives on in the heart of our community for generations to come."
Rensselaer County Legislator Carole Weaver said, “I am excited that the Memorial Day parade is returning to Troy since COVID-19 changed our lives. I hope everyone has a meaningful Memorial Day. Please join us in remembering those soldiers who gave their all to keep us safe- that is the purpose of Memorial Day.”
Anthony Buchanan, co-chair of the Lansingburgh Little League and member of the community, said, “We are excited that a Memorial Day parade is coming back to Troy in Lansingburgh this year on Monday, May 27th! The City of Troy residents are excited for this to happen and we are hoping this will be a great building block for other parades to come back to life. Thank you so much to the community members Mandi Buchanan, Andrea Fairhurst, PJ Higgit, Jim Gulli, Carole Weaver, Vito Ciccarelli, Kim Ash-McPherson and Ed Doin for standing up and helping pitch in! Big thanks goes out to Mayor Mantello and Deputy Seamus Donnelly for making this happen! We hope everyone enjoys the parade, the 3pm Memorial Ceremony at Powers Park and the block party 4-8 at Forty-One Sports bar where there will be live music by Brian Kane and the Beginnings!”
If you are interested in participating in the parade, please reach out to Hayley Hill at Hayley.Hill@troyny.gov.
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