The day was sunny and hot. The crowd was relaxed and having fun. The kids were waiting for their annual candy scramble. It could only be the Bethlehem (NY) Memorial Day Parade. I took my place at the Middle School and had fun taking photos of the parade marchers and watching participants.
Along for the fun were my wife, our eldest daughter and our three grandsons plus about 3,000 of our neighbors. Parking was at a premium, se we walked the one mile to the site where I stood and took pictures.
Marching Eagles HS Band
The parade is decidedly non commercial with mostly kids (and their parents) marching plus a few local bands, the American Legion and some local veterans, a few vintage cars and of course, lots of fire trucks. We have been attending the parade for as long as our kids were old enough to appreciate it and march in it, too. And I am sure the event goes back longer than that. I don’t know when it first started.
The Yankee Doodle Band
The Yankee Doodle Band is a longstanding part of the parade. Officially called the Fort Crailo American Legion Yankee Doodle Band, the group was formed in 1928 as a Drum and Bugle corps and as a tribute to our veterans and military men and women. It performs all over the state and country. It has had a number of notable performances including escorting Governor Nelson Rockefeller into his inaugural ball.
Shriner Clown
The Shriners provide clowns and funny cars to the festive event. These folks come from the Cyprus Shrine of Albany. It was established in the 1877. The Bethehem Central School Marching Band generally participates. Located in Delmar, NY, the High School serves the Town of Bethlehem community. The school district was formed in 1930. The band is nicknamed the “Marching Eagles”.
Albany Police Pipe Band
Another not to be missed musical feature is the Albany Police Pipe Band. Formed in 1984, the band consists solely of police officers. It has been a star of many parades throughout the area and competes in band contests. This Memorial Day, the band performed in the Albany Memorial Day Parade in the early morning and then came over to us in the late morning. Love that sound.
See the complete set of photos of the day at my Smugmug Gallery. All photos were taken with the Canon 28-135mm lens and post-processed in LR, PS and Nik filters.