Nyack’s Memorial Day Parade kicks off at 11a on Monday May 31 featuring veterans, several bands, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department Mounted Patrol, scouts and other youth groups. All eight units of the Nyack Fire Patrol will be on parade as well as the Central Nyack Fire Dept, Nyack Ambulance Corps, the Motorcycle Club and local color guards, too.
The parade steps off at 11a on Monday from the Riverspace parking and with the parade route ending at Memorial Park. Participants should line up beginning at 10:30a.
“I hope the public will turn out to say ‘thank you’ to Nyack’s Veterans and enjoy a beautiful day in our beloved village,” says Nick Del Pizzo, Parade Committee Chairman for American Legion Post 310, sponsor of the Nyack Memorial Day Parade.
Jim Leiner, the featured speaker at the closing ceremonies, will give a history of Nyack’s African-American veterans grave sites at the closing ceremony in Memorial Park. There’s free hot dogs and soda for kids under 12 at the park and a open house at the American Legion Post with refreshments and music following the closing ceremonies.
“The Memorial Day Parade was always a major event in Nyack during the 50’s and 60’s,” says Del Pizzo. Pizzo says the Memorial Day Parade lapsed during 1980’s and 90’s. “The 2010 event marks the the 10th year of the revived parade,” he says.
Before the parade kicks off on Monday, there will be a service at 9a at Oak Hill Cemetery conducted by VFW Post 9215 of Upper Nyack.
On 9a on Saturday, May 29, the American Legion and the VFW will place American Flags on the grave sites of all veterans buried at Oak Hill Cemetery. The Legion invites the public to participate and help with this show of respect for Nyack’s veterans.