St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches hosted its St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 15.

The parade started at 3:15 p.m. at Lake Avenue, and it proceeded along Main Street until it reached Neville Street.  The parade also passed by the “Town Showmobile” in front of the Center Moriches Fire Department Fire House, where the grand marshal of this year’s parade, Virginia Tyson, stood alongside the parade’s Irish Princess and Center Moriches town officials. 

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is an annual event that celebrates the community in addition to the holiday.

Arthur Gerhauser, the chairperson for the parade’s committee, explained that the Irish Princess was chosen via an essay contest that local high school seniors could participate in.  This year’s Irish Princess was Center Moriches High School senior Clara Tebbins. Gerhauser also described in an email how the committee chose Tyson to be the grand marshal for this year’s parade.

“To be considered for grand marshal, the candidate must have made a positive contribution to the quality of life we enjoy here in our Moriches Bay communities,” Gerhauser said. “This contribution is typically over decades. This has most often been someone who has given of themselves with little or nothing in return—a person of good moral character.  Virginia ‘Ginny’ Tyson was chosen as the 2026 grand marshal in recognition of her 32 years on the Center Moriches Library’s Board of Trustees, most of that time as president, and also for her 12 years serving on the board of education for the Center Moriches School District.”

“I was surprised and honored to be selected as grand marshal for 2026,” Tyson said.  “I was a member of the Friends of the Library for a number of years.  We ran fundraisers and bus trips using the funds raised to make special purchases for the library.  I was asked if I would be interested in filling a seat vacated by a trustee that moved out of the district.  I filled the seat, then ran for the seat in the next election.  I felt that at the time, I would like to work with the board to [address] needs for the community that the library could provide in programs and activities, helping to make the library a center in the community…  Sitting on the school board was both exciting and trying at times.  You knew you could never make everyone happy, but we worked hard to do what was best for the students.  I graduated from CMHS [in] 1971.  When I decided to run for the school board, my children were attending the Center Moriches schools.  Talking with other parents, we saw a need to develop a long-term plan to work on improvement in the district, and I wanted to get involved, hoping I could help in some way other than just talking.”

The Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches currently plans to host the Spring Street Fair, the Summer Concert Series, a “summer evening cruise around Moriches Bay,” the Fall Festival Street Fair, the March of the Goblins during Halloween, a veterans’ parade, and a tree and menorah lighting.  Additionally, in June, the Chamber of Commerce is also giving “scholarship awards and recognition of citizenship to graduating students” in Center Moriches schools. 

This year is also the chamber’s 100th anniversary, and the chamber is currently planning a “centennial party” and other events to celebrate the anniversary.