The Village of New Hyde Park and New Hyde Park Fire Department will host the village’s second annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday, March 11. 

The event will honor first responders, similar to last year, and Michael McBride, president of the New Hyde Park funeral home, will serve as the grand marshal. 

“You will not find a finer individual than him,” Mayor Christopher Devane said. referring to McBride during the Feb. 16 board of trustees meeting. “He is someone that has always shown his generous support for the community.”

Rain throughout the day made organizing last year’s parade more difficult, but Devane said there are going to be some changes in the setup this year to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Community organizations will come together at a command post on Hillside Avenue and Hillside Boulevard where village officials will get them lined up in order. First responders will have their own command post on Lowell Avenue and Hillside Boulevard, Devane said. 

The mayor added that he wants the line of march during the parade to be a little more spread out than last year so every organization can be recognized. 

The parade itself will run along Jericho Turnpike before ending at the firehouse at 1555 Jericho, where a ceremony honoring McBride will take place. Food and refreshments will also be served afterward.

In unrelated village news, Devane provided some updates on the ongoing infrastructure projects throughout much of the village. 

Plans for a new community center are still ongoing, Devane said, and state grants are in the final stages of approval. Marcus Christ Hall was knocked down months ago and the county grant for a new building has already been approved.

Village Hall, which has been undergoing internal and external restoration since last year, will have its first-floor and basement windows replaced this month. With Marcus Christ Hall gone, Devane said more meeting space needs to become available and that the existing board room will become a community and senior meeting room.  The board will conduct meetings on the second floor where the museum and Little League storage room are located when renovations are complete. 

As for the museum itself, it is being moved to the basement for better accessibility.

The new playground at Memorial Park is expected to be installed this spring, Devane said. The playground will expand 30 feet into the left field of the ball field at the park, which will allow more open space for families and the creation of a senior space.

“It’s going to be a very ,very busy spring,” Devane said. “We have a lot of construction going on.”