8th Annual St. Patrick's Parade & Irish Fair March 4, 2007

"cherishing all the children of the nation equally. . ." --- Proclamation of the Irish Republic, Easter 1916

Please join us for NYC's INCLUSIVE Saint Patrick's Day Parade. The Irish community of Queens welcomes everyone to it's 8th annual St. Patrick's Parade & Irish Fair. The Queens "St. Pat's for All" Parade kicks off on Sunday, March 4th at 1:00pm!

The people in the communities here enjoy the energy and spirit that the St. Pat's For All parade and fair brings to the schools and streets of Sunnyside and Woodside!

As for the past seven years the theme of the 2007 St Patrick's festival is "cherishing all the children of the nation equally". Taken from the proclamation of Easter 1916, it is still meaningful today, 91 years after it was written.

We celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Whether for spiritual quest, banishment, exile, a longing for adventure or in the pursuit of dreams the Irish diaspora have gone from the small isle of Eire to all corners of the globe. So we gather on March 4th in Sunnyside as diverse communities of New Yorkers to celebrate Ireland.

Among the puppeteers, dancers and stilt walkers will be community groups reflecting the ethnic diversity of Queens celebrating Ireland. Queens NACCP will carry the banner of Frederick Douglas recalling his visit to Ireland during the famine. The Mexican community honors the San Patricios, Irish immigrants who defended the Mexicans in the U.S. Mexican War of 1846-1848. Others will recall Thomas Charles Wright founder of the Ecuadorian Navy, who hailed from Drogheda, Ireland. The presence of Choctaw and Shinnecock representatives will refect the generous outreach in 1847 by native peoples to the starving Irish during the great famine.

Among the sponsors and supporters of the parade are Local 1199, Dignity NY and of course locals who donated time and talent as well as many dollars. The Queens branch of the Red Cross will once again bring tea and hot chocolate for everybody. Banners will honor the memory of Irish women peacemakers from Brigid to Dorothy Day, from Catherine McCauley and Margaret Anna Cusack to Mother Jones and Eileen Egan. Religious participants include Methodist Church, the Episcopal Franciscan “Society of St. Francis”, Catholic Worker, Dignity/NY, Metropolitan Community Church. Alumni of Notre Dame and St. John’s University will march. Students from TCI will carry giant puppets. The children of the community represented by Irish dancers and boys and girls clubs will lead the parade up the avenue. Backing for the parade has also come from city unions and labor leaders - LOCAL 1199, the United Federation of Teachers, The Central Labor Council and Local 375 DC 37.

The Irish community of Queens hosts the city's only parade to welcome lesbian and gay contingents. The March 4th parade continues a rare spirit of hospitality and welcome that began with the 2000 parade historical breakthrough. Other participating Irish groups and businesses include the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance, Lavender & Green Alliance, a New York - based Irish lesbian and gay group, the Brehon Law Society, the Irish Parades Emergency Committee, The Keltic Dreamers and the All City School marching Band. We're especially excited in welcoming a group honoring Irish marriage equality pioneers, Drs. Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan. We're also proud to have a special Irish latino theme throughout this year's parade.

It is easy to get to get to the parade by subway. Take the #7 Flushing line to the 40th St. stop and walk to 43rd St. and Skillman Ave. The parade ends at 6oth St. and Woodside Ave.

Official Website: http://www.stpatsforall.com/