New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade Set To Soar And We Can't Wait

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New York's largest Thanksgiving Day Parade is perhaps best watched from the comfort of your living room, but you'll want to be there in person to enjoy the Empire State's second biggest spectacle of the season.

Mighty Mouse is set to soar through the streets of New Rochelle again as a favorite Thanksgiving tradition returns.

The New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and the City of New Rochelle announced the 59th Annual Thanksgiving Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov 18., starting at 10 a.m.

The grand marshal for the 2023 Thanksgiving Parade is Minister Mark McLean, who will ride down the parade route along North Ave. in a convertible Audi S5 provided by Audi New Rochelle.

"As a lifelong resident of New Rochelle, I am delighted and honored to be chosen Grand Marshal of this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade," Minister McLean said. "In spite of all the great challenges this year, I am so grateful to be alive and I give thanks to God to be a part of such a great and loving family that is the city of New Rochelle. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Organizers say this year’s parade will salute UFFA Local 273 on their 100th Anniversary and their extensive history of service to the city. Fire departments from neighboring communities will join in the parade this year to march with the New Rochelle Fire Department.

"The New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade is a NR Chamber and City tradition. This year's Parade honors Grand Marshal Minister Mark McLean for his long service to the City in both a professional and volunteer capacity," Rob Hayes, President of the NR Chamber of Commerce, said. "It's an especially fitting choice as we're also celebrating the New Rochelle Firefighters UFFA Local 273's 100th Anniversary. We're glad to recognize them both in the Parade. Congratulations!"

The parade will feature floats and giant parade balloons, including New Rochelle’s own iconic Mighty Mouse, along with Tom the Turkey, Peppa Pig and many others. There will, of course, be marching bands playing throughout the parade, vintage cars and firetrucks, dancers, singers and marchers from Iona and Monroe Colleges, local schools, businesses and community organizations.

The 2023 Thanksgiving Parade route will go along North Avenue, beginning at Eastchester Road and ending at Bonnefoy Place. Groups will perform at the grandstand near Anderson Street Plaza where the parade will be recorded for Thanksgiving weekend broadcasts on NRTV.

The NR Chamber also announced the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence’s Annual Pancake Breakfast is back this year. Enjoy a delicious $5 breakfast made and served by New Rochelle's school and district administrators and teachers, just before the New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade, and help support a good cause. Starting at 8 a.m. in the House IV Cafeteria at New Rochelle High School (entrance at North and Braemar Avenues), the breakfast is open to all.

For the latest on the parade, visit the NR Chamber website page here.

More About Grand Marshal Minister Mark McLean

Minister Mark McLean is a lifelong resident of New Rochelle, who graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1981, where he excelled in football and music. He then attended the City College of New York to study the music, history and cultures of African people throughout the diaspora.

McLean served as a New Rochelle firefighter and retired at the rank of Lieutenant after more than 33 years. The minister's community involvement spans almost two decades serving on the Westchester County Human Rights Commission for five years, and leading the Political Action Committee, of both the NAACP New Rochelle Brand and the Uniform Fire Fighter Association Local 273, for many years. He is the past president of the Gathering of Men of New Rochelle Inc. and through his consulting firm, Urban Tusk Community Strategies, has partnered with the county to assist Minority, Women Business Enterprises to achieve success. McLean serves on the board of Interfaith Dwellings Corporation, a company that consists of houses of worship seeking to impact the shortage of affordable housing. The minister is currently the president of the NAACP New Rochelle Branch and the Inter Religious Coalition of New Rochelle, along with being the CEO of Kingdom Community Consultants.

Minister McLean serves as Elder and a community liaison for Bishop Reford Mott and Generations Churh of New Rochelle. He has been married to his wife Denise for over 35 years and they have a daughter Kadiedra; 2 sons, Imhotep and Kemet; a grandson Kaiden and a granddaughter Zhuri.