Fire Department Set To Serve As Grand Marshals For Wantagh St. Patrick’s Day Parade

WANTAGH, NY. — When the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce started discussing who would serve as the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year, the directive was simple: Find an organization that gives back to the community.

“we wanted to choose someone — or some organization — that obviously gives back to the community and provides so much support,” Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair and Parade Chairman Matt Kondrup said.

With that in mind, the chamber has settled on not a person, but an entire organization: The Wantagh Fire Department. It’s a 205-member department, and members of its leadership told Patch they’re both thankful and humbled to be given the honor of grand marshaling the parade.

“The Chiefs, Officers and members of the Wantagh Fire Department are extremely grateful and humbled to represent our town as the Grand Marshals of the 2026 St. Patrick's Day Parade,” Second Assistant Chief Christopher Dolley told Patch. “We appreciate the Chamber’s desire to acknowledge what we do for the community but we take particular pride in this distinction because all 205 firefighters and fire medics of the WFD are members of that community. We are your neighbors, friends and familiar faces around town.”

The department was honored at a grand marshal dinner Mar. 3, attended by Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Councilman Chris Schneider, Legislator Kayla Knight, and Legislator Michael Giangregorio, as well as State Senator Steve Rhoads.

“As we all celebrate not only the holiday of St. Patrick's Day but the truly awesome event that our chamber has created, our members will be clad in green sweat shirts, “Scally Caps” and sashes embroidered in acknowledgement of this prestigious honor,” Dolley said. “We cannot state enough how appreciative we are of The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce and their president Karen Lofgren for this opportunity and look forward to another great parade!”

Kondrup said Wantagh Avenue would be closed from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a block party continuing after the parade from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. The parade itself, Kondrup said, runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For the department leaders, the parade serves as a reminder of the service all of Wantagh’s fire personnel are called to offer.

“It is our privilege as Chiefs to stand along side the brave men and women who serve Wantagh in their time of need,” Dolley said. “Our brothers and sisters who steal time from their loved ones and obligations to answer the calls of their neighbors not when it is convenient but when it is necessary. It is truly an honor to lead these dedicated professionals.”