Building a parade, one wild and whimsical float at a time.
By Annette Hinkle
Sure, New York City’s Fifth Avenue may be the site of the country’s largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade (the first one was in 1762), but when it comes to celebrating the wearing of the green, never underestimate the tenacity of Montauk where, over the course of nearly half a century, parade antics have been elevated to an art form.
When it comes to embracing themes, these guys (and gals) are serious and they traditionally — sometimes notoriously — offer floats with a distinctly East End twist. Where else would you expect to find a bevy of Elvises (organized by local rocker Nancy Atlas), an annual Coneheads float, up-to-the-minute topical cultural references courtesy of Montauk business owner and “King of the Parade” Gordon Ryan (last year it was Tiger Woods — could Charlie Sheen be far behind?) and, this year anyways, a men’s synchronized swimming offering?
Certainly not on Fifth Avenue.
Sunday will mark the 49th year for the parade, which is the second largest in the state and sponsored by Montauk Friends of Erin, a civic and social organization started in 1962. Each year, the parade draws an estimated 40,000 spectators and supporters, and putting it all together is a big job.
“The work starts in October – that’s when they pick the date and send out all the correspondence,” explains Kathy Keller, secretary to the president of the Friends of Erin. “That’s alos when the requests for bands goes out. Every bagpipe band we have to pay and none of them are under $1,500. It’s expensive to put the parade on.”
“Restaurants and businesses are getting together – a lot of them are opening for the first time since winter,” adds Keller. “Decorations are going up and it’s turning green out there.”
And then, there are those floats.
“It’s the last week, so everyone is working on them,” says Keller, who traditionally rides aboard the Friends of Erin float and in past years has been a lobster, St. Patrick, a lion and even Teddy Roosevelt.
“The inside scoop is I’m being dressed as a leprechaun this year,” confides Keller.
And while they say everyone loves a parade, Keller thinks that being in one is even more fun than watching one.
“When you’re in the parade and throwing beads and candy, to see the look on a kid’s face when they catch a bead is great,” says Keller. “Or you see the older women when the bagpipers are coming — they get all excited like we were when the Beatles performed. They’re clapping their hands, and yelling “They’re coming!’ That’s the fun — to see the look on these people’s faces. Really – you’re there for that.”
While there is a sense of secrecy and friendly competition surrounding float themes, Cathie Kalman has no problem talking openly about the Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation’s offering this year — men’s synchronized swimming.
“It all started when a friend, who I’ve cursed out since then, sent me a You Tube video of a men’s senior synchronized swimming team. It’s hysterical,” says Kalman. “We were going to use seniors, but 30 year olds look much better than old men.”
“We’ll even have a mermaid in the middle. It should be very funny.”
There will be no actual water involved — it is still winter, after all — but rather, an illusion of synchronized swimming choreographed to Andrea Bocelli’s “Con te Partiro” performed behind a foreground representing a pool.
“We’re getting a 20 yard dumpster and a blue tarp, wrapping that baby up and getting tubes for the swimmers like little kids use,” says Kalman. “We’re trying to build a platform inside the dumpster to raise it up so they can do their tricks and people can see them.”
The theme is spot-on, given the fact that one of the goals of the Montauk Playhouse is to raise money to build a pool at the facility. Coincidentally, Joan Lycke, president of the Montauk Playhouse (and owner of the Montauk Laundromat) is grand marshal of this years parade.
“I’ve been in Montauk since 1989. I didn’t realize they were so serious about the floats,” adds Kalman who is making her first this year. “I had no idea how much work it is. Now I’m just trying to get the music loud enough.”
Local businesses also get in on the action and Maureen Keller is among those working on the Gurney’s float, which will feature an Irish cottage in owner of Lycke’s Irish heritage. She recalls that the Montauk St. Patrick’s Day parades have always been laced with humor.
“I grew up here, my grandfather started the first parade before the Friends of Erin and I’ve been on the floats since I was a little kid,” says Keller. “Each year it grows. Montauk is a unique place. The parade is like the opening of spring, people have cabin fever, especially after this winter. You can come out and make a nice weekend of it.”
Among the Sag Harbor residents taking part is Jill Ramundo, branch manager of Bridgehampton National Bank in Montauk, who, along with Cathy Tice and other Sag Harborites puts together a float on behalf of the bank.
Tice, who’s helped out for several years, admits that she initially was reluctant to get involved.
“I hate parades and never wanted to go,” says Tice. “But it’s so much fun to go on float. We throw lots of beads out and get people to put their money in the bank.”
“This our be our fourth this year,” adds Ramundo. “We do it under the umbrella of the bank –– the first year we did an ATM in the dunes, then it was ride the wave of Bridgehampton National Bank.”
“We can’t get too crazy, like some of the entries, but we try to make it fun and not lose our jobs on Monday,” says Ramundo, who explains that though prep work takes place in advance, the assembling of the float isn’t done until the morning of the parade in Montauk. That’s because driving a fully loaded float from Sag Harbor to Montauk just isn’t practical. “We get an 18 wheeler trailer every year from Steven Mezynieski. A staple gun is your savior, and we’ll recycle stuff like cardboard boxes and marketing materials, and use paint and glitter.”
“It’s one of the greatest days of the year,” she adds.
The Montauk St. Patrick’s Day parade begins with The Friends of Erin Grand Marshal’s Luncheon in honor of Joan Lycke from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, March 18 at Gurney’s Inn on Old Montauk Highway. Lycke will be roasted (figuratively, not literally) and presented with her parade sash, top hat and shillelagh. Tickets are $40 and available by calling John Behan at 668-2257. The Gala Cocktail Party is Saturday, March 19 from 4 to 8 p.m., also at Gurney’s. Tickets are $60 and include a buffet, open bar and live band and available by calling 668-1578.
The 49th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will kick off from Edgemere Road in Montauk at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20. The parade proceeds down Main Street past the reviewing stand on the green, and finishes at the by the IGA. Come early to get a good view.
Above: Bridgehampton National Bank's "ATM By The Dunes" float.
on Mar 16, 2011