Hartford

The New Britain Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the 2013 Memorial Day Parade in honor of all the brave men and women who have served and those who are currently serving in the United States Military. Mayor Timothy E. O’Brien stated, “The City of New Britain is proud to continue our tradition of honoring the sacrifices and contributions of our service men and women through our annual Memorial Day Parade.” Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Angelo D’Alfonso added that "The Memorial Day Parade is an event that young and old can come out to enjoy and be entertained by the Parade’s many participants, but most importantly to remember the men and women who served in our military and paid the ultimate price for our freedom.” Veterans Commission Chairman Peter Scirpo commented that, “Memorial Day is a time for reflection on the great deeds of the past, never to forget those whose selfless acts provide endless freedom for all citizens in the free world. We should take the time to come out and speak with those who offer advice of how precious life is, after having earned the right to give the advice by surviving battles hard fought and the loss of brothers in arms.”

 

The Memorial Day Parade will take place on Thursday, May 30, 2013, beginning at 6 p.m. The Parade will begin at the top of Broad and Burritt Streets. The line of march is East on Broad Street for 1.5 miles downhill to South on Main Street for 0.7 miles past the Reviewing and Grand Stand in Central Park to the dispersing point at Franklin Square in front of the New Britain Courthouse. The Reviewing and Grand Stands will be on the west side of Main Street on the north side of Central Park.  Parks and Recreation Director Bill DeMaio noted, “All the City residents should make it a special point to watch this year’s parade.  It promises to be the largest parade in several years. We have booked even more bands and entertainment than in the past.”  

 

The Parade also features many local Veterans Organizations including the Marine Corps League Hardware City Detachment, the General Haller Post Polish War Veterans, the Franco-American War Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Korean War Veterans, the Northwestern Veterans TGM Memorial Post, and their respective Auxiliaries; Youth and Local Organizations like the Fagan/Cal Ripken and New Britain Baseball Little Leagues as well as New Britain Youth Soccer; the YWCA, the New Britain Police, Fire and EMS organizations, the Falcons Club, four school marching bands including the New Britain High School Golden Hurricanes, the DiLoreto/Pulaski, Roosevelt, and Slade Middle School Bands, eight Fife and Drum Corps and Music Bands including the Colonel John Chester Fife & Drum Corps, the CT Patriots Senior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, the Deep River Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, the Manchester Regional Police & Fire Pipe Band, the Marquis of Granby Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, the Moodus Drum & Fife Corps, St. Peter's Drum Corps, Windsor Fife and Drum Corps, the Simply Swing Band, two clowns named Valentine and Jingles, two sets of entertaining stilt walkers named Amazing Andy and the Airborne Jugglers, the Sphinx Temple Motor Patrol Association and the Sphinx Shrine Cycle Unit,  the Connecticut Horse Council Volunteer Horse Patrol, and many other organizations.