Mark your calendars: The Montauk Friends of Erin's St. Patrick's Day parade will be on March 26 this year. And in the usual fashion, there will be lots of festivities leading up to the main event.
The Montauk Friends of Erin's 18th annual traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner will be held at the Shagwong Tavern on March 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Children under 6 are free. There will be music and a 50-50 raffle. Tickets are available at the door only.
The Behan family's annual lunch honoring the grand marshal of the Friends of Erin's St. Patrick's Day parade will take place on March 24 at noon at Gurney's Resort and Spa. This year's grand marshal is Jimmy Grimes. Tickets, which cost $70 per person, are available now on the Friends of Erin website. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
The Friends of Erin Pot of Gold Raffle tickets are on sale for $100 each. Only 500 tickets will be sold. First prize is $12,000, second prize is $2,000, third and fourth prizes are $1,000 each. The winners tickets will be drawn at the annual cocktail party on March 25 at Gurney's Resort. Tickets can be bought at montaukfriendsoferin.org or from any club member.
This year's Friends of Erin cocktail party tickets have all been sold. There will be no tickets available at the door.
It's not too late to take part: The Friends of Erin are encouraging families and local businesses to participate in the parade with floats or marchers. Kathy Keller can be called at 631-335-4122 to be included in the lineup.