Last October, the Columbus Day Parade stepped off and marched down Route 6, marking the return of the iconic Mahopac event after a five-year hiatus.
The parade was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it took half a decade for it to rebound. But the Italian American Club of Mahopac (IAC) was determined to get things back on track and resurrect the longtime tradition.
“We started the fundraising early,” said IAC corresponding secretary Linda Cefaloni, whose husband, Giulio, is president of the group. “It was wonderful how everyone responded.”
Now, with the parade successfully revived, the IAC is preparing to do it all again.
The 33rd annual Putnam County Columbus Day Parade will step off Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2:30 p.m. at Lake Casse Road and Route 6 and make its way to Mahopac Chamber Community Park, where it will join the annual Mahopac Street Festival.
Last year’s parade also featured a new float — the Santa Maria, a replica of one of Christopher Columbus’ three ships. It carried the parade’s grand marshal and other IAC honorees and will be back again this year in the same capacity.
Linda said Giulio is in the final stages of putting the parade lineup together, and it will feature bands, dancers, clubs and organizations marching in honor of the holiday. It will also boast classic cars and miniature horses.
“And we even have goats,” Giulio said with a laugh.
This year’s grand marshal is Frank Miele, who spent decades in various roles in the Mahopac Central School District.
The former athletic director most recently served as the district’s interim superintendent before retiring, capping a long and notable career in education.
Joining Miele are honorary grand marshals Urania and Carmine Cedrola and Putnam County Legislator Jake D’Angelo. Paul Camarda has been named the parade’s special honoree.
Madeleine Zeolla will serve as Miss Columbus, while AnnaMaria Amato has been selected as Little Miss Columbus. Jake Lauro will serve as Master Columbus.
The honorees will ride aboard the Santa Maria, a float Ken Lauro conceived after his granddaughter, Lola, was named Little Miss Columbus in 2017.
But then COVID hit. It wasn't until the parade returned last year that Lauro and a crew of volunteers brought the idea to life, constructing the ship largely from pressure-treated lumber and adding a mast, anchor, fishnet, flags and other nautical touches.
Like last year, the parade will be held in conjunction with the annual Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce Street Festival (a.k.a Street Fair) along South Lake Boulevard. The Cefalonis say the two events are a natural fit.
“The fair and the parade come together, and it is a beautiful day for the town,” Giulio said. “We work well together.”
The parade has been a Putnam County tradition since 1988, when the IAC and St. John the Evangelist Church joined forces to organize the first event in conjunction with the church’s centennial celebration.
Four years later, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, the club commissioned local sculptor Anthony Padovano to create a Columbus statue. Funded through the club and community fundraising efforts, the statue now stands at Carmel Town Hall on McAlpin Avenue.
This year, the IAC will continue its Columbus Day observances there on Monday, Oct. 12, with its annual Columbus Day Celebration and statue ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.
The ceremony traditionally brings club members and community residents together at the statue to mark the holiday and recognize Italian American heritage.
For more information about the Oct. 12 ceremony, contact Giulio Cefaloni at 845-745-2655 or Linda Cefaloni at 914-582-4373.
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