18-03-2025
Good luck teams with good weather at New London St. Patrick's Day Parade
New London — On a warm but windy Sunday afternoon, Carole Cone stood outside Noodles and Rice Bistro on Bank Street and readied to watch the city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. As she did, she recalled early memories of the parade, which she's been attending probably, since it started."
Cone, a Waterford resident who grew up in New London, remembers standing in the "freezing cold," at the base of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, to watch it.
But on this Sunday, more than 1,000 parade-watchers who joined Cone on Bank and State streets were luckier than that. Spring, for the moment has come to town, and brought along with it a sense of St. Patrick's Day cheer, the day before the holiday.
Cone's friend, resident Joyce Meehan, who's been coming to the parade for six or seven years, said it always marks the start of spring for her. Meehan, who described herself as having "New London blood," enjoys watching the people and dogs go by, and meeting all her elementary and middle school friends from the city.
Cone, too, cherished that sense of community, she said, along with the city and holiday pride it instills. The parade she said is "nostalgia at its finest," and even though green is her least favorite color, she wore it anyway.
The parade started at 1 p.m. Public safety officials were the first to march down Bank Street, followed by New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums. Soon after, a former parade grand marshal, Catherine Foley, walked by, giving candy to the children in the crowd. Foley is the executive director of the Thames River Heritage Park, which provides a water taxi to sites along the Thames River.
She said she was "delighted" to be at the parade, and that her grandparents, all four of them Irish, were going to be proud.
"It's a great day and a great heritage," Foley added.
This year's parade grand marshal was New London resident Jim Stephenson. According to a release from parade-organizer Neff Productions, Stephenson is a "deeply involved" community member and teacher at New London schools' and professor at Mitchell College. It said he has coached New London Babe Ruth baseball, and is a fourth and fifth generation Irish-American.
The eclectic parade, which lasted about 40 minutes, included pirates wielding a small cannon, multiple drum groups, including from the city's schools, community groups and businesses, witch dancers and step dancers.
After it finished, Kim and Brian Campbell, who had been standing on Bank Street, made an immediate beeline for Tox Brewing Company, which was crowded with people post-parade. Originally from Exeter, N.H., the two moved to New London about four years ago to retire, and have since enjoyed being in a more diverse community. Kim Campbell said she uses any excuse to come downtown, and loves seeing new things there, like Tox.
Kim Campbell was dressed in a green St. Patrick's Day long-sleeve shirt and bowler hat, and a green blazer jacket.
"I'm an event dresser, she said, adding that she dresses the theme for each holiday.
Editor's Note: This version corrects Catherine Foley's title and adds the name of this year's parade grand marshal.
