On Sunday, March 20, the streets of Wantagh filled with thousands of people dressed head to toe in green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. 

This was only the second St. Patrick’s Day parade Wantagh has hosted. The first parade occurred in 2019, and there would have been another, had Covid-19 not hit Wantagh as badly as it did. Wantagh’s community spirit never left them over the quarantine, and when the parade started, a large part of Wantagh showed up to celebrate not only the holiday, but the return to normalcy after the pandemic.

As compared to the 2019 parade’s attendance, this year’s attendance may have been almost two times the size. The streets were filled from sidewalk to sidewalk with smiling faces from all over Long Island, and even some from New York City too. This large attendance may be due in part to the low attendance of New York City’s parade for fear of Covid-19 spread. 

Not only was the attendance for parade watchers high this year, but so was the amount of floats and participants. There were eight sectors for the floats, including many local fire and police departments from surrounding towns. 

This is a great opportunity for local businesses to gain new customers and awareness of their business. In addition to this, it is also a great opportunity for the citizens of Wantagh and the surrounding towns to support local businesses and help regrow the economy after Covid. 

While the sun might not have been out, the weather was perfect for a day of celebrating Irish heritage and the return to normalcy.