MAHOPAC – The 33rd annual Putnam Columbus Day Parade, sponsored by the Italian American Club of Mahopac, steps off at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 6 north of Croton Falls Road and continues into the Mahopac business district on Route 6N, where a street fair will be underway.
The Italian American Club began sponsoring the parade to celebrate Italian American culture and contributions in the United States. The festivities began in 1988 with a parade organized jointly with St. John the Evangelist Church to mark the church’s centennial.
In 1992, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his discovery of the Americas, the Italian American Club of Mahopac commissioned local sculptor Anthony Padovano to design and sculpt a statue of Columbus. Members and many community fundraisers financed the statue and pedestal project. Columbus’ statue stands next to the 911 Memorial at Carmel Town Hall.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade—like most other activities worldwide—halted. With club rentals and other revenue-generating events suspended, the Italian American Club could not resume the parade until last year.
With combined efforts and support of the club’s membership and community that included a number of fundraising events, the parade has returned to bring back what club president Giulio Cefaloni called “this long-standing tradition which has enriched Putnam County for over 30 years.”
Cefaloni said his organization is committed to “promoting and celebrating Italian American heritage and culture, which continue to make important contributions to our country. As Columbus showed us, we must never lose our spirit of discovery and hope.”
A highlight of Sunday’s parade will be the Santa Maria float, carrying Grand Marshal Frank Miele, former Mahopac superintendent of schools, and his entourage.
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