And a Watson Shall Lead It
Terry Watson will be the grand marshal leading Montauk’s 52nd St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday. The festivities will begin tomorrow, when she will be honored at the annual grand marshal lunch from noon to 3 p.m. at Gurney’s Inn. This year’s host is Joan Lycke, the 2011 grand marshal, who is taking over for John Behan, who had hosted the lunch for many years.
At the event, Ms. Watson, a member of the Montauk School Board from 1984 to 2013, will be given her top hat and shillelagh and will hear some good-natured teasing. Tickets cost $50 in advance or $55 at the door and can be purchased at the Montauk Laundromat or by calling 668-3381. Reservations have been suggested and can be made by emailing friendslunch2015@gmail.com.
The annual cocktail party will be held at Gurney’s Inn on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. Booga Sugar will provide the tunes for dancing. There will be a buffet dinner and open bar. Tickets, which cost $65 in advance, are available at the Montauk Chamber of Commerce, Becker’s Hardware, Atlantic Wines and Liquors in Amagansett, or online with a credit card at montaukfriendsoferin. com. They will cost $75 at the door.
The drawing for the Pot of Gold raffle will take place at the party, with remaining tickets sold right up until the winning stubs are pulled. The raffle tickets cost $100, and only 350 will be sold. The grand prize is $10,000, second prize is $1,000, and the third and fourth-place prizes are $500 each.
The St. Patrick’s Day parade will start on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. near the Montauk train station on Edgemere Road. It will end near the Montauk I.G.A. There will be more than 60 contingents, including marching bands, humorous floats, boy scouts and girl scouts, and fire departments.
Before the parade begins, the Montauk Chamber of Commerce will help warm the crowd with a soup sale starting at 11 a.m. Each commemorative cup will cost $8. A variety of soups donated by local restaurants will be available. The proceeds help defray the cost of the parade.
Officers from several police departments will be on hand and on the trains to monitor the crowds and enforce the open-container law, which if violated means a $250 fine.