Chester Academy Marching Band will appear in Sunday's Mid-Hudson St. Patrick's Day Parade

Goshen — The Chester Academy Marching Band, with its new leader Deborah Vitanza, will be among the non-pipe bands to march in the The Mid-Hudson St. Patrick’s Parade this Sunday, March 13, which steps off at 2 p.m. in Goshen. Also participating this year are the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization of mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service to the nation, escorted by Rolling Thunder, New York Chapter 3 and its president Ron Orts. The Gold Star Mothers will be in the Escort Division following Grand Marshal Ron Heppes. The parade will feature music, ROTC units, Military Color Guards and more. The Pipes and Drums of the Orange County AOH, with Drum Major Seamus Davis and Pipe Major Tom Fleming, lead off the parade as they have for over 30 years. Returning will be the Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band. As a grade three Pipe Band they placed third in the 2009 World Pipe Band Competition in Glasgow, Scotland, third at the Perth Highland Games, and first in the North Berwick International Highland Games, both in Scotland. The Manchester Pipe Band of Manchester, Conn. will return after winning the best band competition in its first appearance in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Goshen. They are a Grade 2 competition band. (There are no Grade 1 bands on the East Coast and only two on West Coast, with only 11 Grade 2 bands nationwide.) The Firefighter McPadden Pipes and Drums of Goshen, part of the Goshen Emerald Society and led by Joe Aronsen and Bob Eustace, will also appear. The New York City Retired Firefighters Pipe and Drums will lead a contingent of retired New York City firefighters. Other non-pipe bands include the Troop 236 Boy Scout Band, the Chester Academy Marching Band, the Walker Valley Marching Band and the Broome St. Traveling All Star Band. The ROTC units= from Minisink Valley, Washingtonville and Middletown will also be returning with many other groups including the Sheahan- Gormley Irish Step Dancers. Who’s who in the Mid-Hudson parade Line-up at 1 p.m.; step-off at 2 p.m. Escort Division Village of Goshen PD escort vehicle Warwick and New Windsor PDs Motorcycle escort Town of Goshen police vehicle Mid-Hudson Parade Committee banner New York State Police Color Guard NYS police vehicle N.Y.S. Police Piper Terry Mullen Grand Marshal: Joseph “Ron” Heppes Aides to the Grand Marshal Past Grand Marshals Irish Wolfhounds Middletown Marine Corps League Det. 236 Color Corps American Gold Star Mothers escorted by Rolling Thunder National, state, county, and local dignitaries Hibernian Division Ancient Order of Hibernians County Banner Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipe & Drums Ancient Order of Hibernians Color Guard AOH Orange County President Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 2 Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 3 Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 4 Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 4 Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Junior Division 5 Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 5 Ulster Division U. S. Military Academy Military Police Color Guard Orange County Sheriff Carl Dubois Scotia Glenville Pipe Band Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Color Corps St. John’s Assembly 769 Middletown Assembly 762 Warwick Valley Assembly 776 St John’s Goshen Knights of Columbus Council 1106 Monroe Knights of Columbus Council 2079 Middletown Knights of Columbus Council 486 Orange County Right To Life Combined Goshen Veterans Color Guard American Legion Post 377 Catholic War Veterans Post 1923 Disabled War Veterans - VFW Post 1708 Combined veterans vehicle and marchers 124th NYSV “Orange Blossoms” re-enactors Dana Distributors hummer Goshen Library Goshen Lions Club Goshen Rotary Club Community Blood Services Vehicle NYC Retired Firefighters Pipes & Drums NYC Retired Firefighters Color Guard NYC Retired Firefighters Vehicles New York City Retired Firefighters of OC Chester Academy marching band Goshen Fire Department Color Guard Goshen Fire Department Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps Goshen Ambulance Corps Vehicle Chester Fire Dept. Munster Division Washingtonville HS U.S. Army JROTC Walker Valley Marching Band Greenwood Lake Gaelic Cultural Society Project Children Sheahan-Gormley School of Irish Dance Irish-American Society of Middletown St. Brendan’s Gaelic Football Club Irish Heritage Festival Float/Marchers U. S. Marine Aircraft MAG 49 Det. B Honor Guard Manchester Pipe Band St. John’s Catholic School, Goshen St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Middletown Hudson Valley Rugby Club Man’s Ruin Roller Derby Leinster Division Middletown HS U.S. Navy JROTC Troop 236 Boy Scout Band Goshen Boy Scout Troop 66 Goshen Boy Scout Troop 62 Goshen Boy Scout Troop 63 Goshen Cub Scout Pack 62, Goshen Cub Scout Pack 63 Middletown Boy Scout Troop 157 Middletown Cub Scout Pack 157 Otisville Cub Scout Pack 169 Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson representatives: Goshen Girl Scout Troops 143 and 449 Goshen Girl Scout Cadette Troop 145 Goshen Brownie Troop 171 Goshen Brownie Troop 633 Goshen Brownie Troop 164 Goshen Daisy Troop 598 Goshen Daisy Troop 184 Campbell Hall Daisy Hall Troop 483 Chester Girl Scout troops, Brownies and Daisies Greenwood Lake Brownie Troop 675 Harriman Brownie Troop 278 Firefighter McPadden Pipes and Drums Middletown Girl Scout Troop 586 Middletown Brownie Troop 239 Middletown Daisy Troop 539 Minisink Girl Scout Troop 233 Newburgh Senior Girl Scout Troop 793 Pine Bush Girl Scout Troop 540 Slate Hill Brownie Troop 114 Warwick Daisy Troop 528 Warwick Daisy Troop 296 Warwick Brownie Troop 787 Connacht Division Minisink Valley U.S. Army JROTC US Army Reserve 417th Engineer Company Broome Street Traveling All Star Band Otisville Correctional Mounted Patrol Goshen Historic Track Hamptonburgh Highlights 4-H Club Orange County Hare-raisers 4H Club O.C.4-H Animal Lovers O.C. 4-H Livestockers and float Pet’s Alive. Middletown, Orange County Antique Auto Club Village Police Car Goshen Ambulance Corps Vehicle