[StBernard] St. Bernard Irish Italian Islenos Community Parade and Marching Club rolls Sunday

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Irish Italian Islenos Community Parade and Marching Club rolls
Sunday

More than 1,600 riders on 44 floats to throw produce, beads starting at
noon; marching group starts at 11 a.m.

 

The St. Bernard Irish Italian Islenos Community Parade and Marching Club
will roll through the streets of Arabi and Chalmette on Sunday, with riders
on 44 floats throwing the traditional cabbage and produce along with beads.

 

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. with the men of the marching club handing
out cane flowers throughout the route. The floats will follow at noon. 

 

The parade begins and ends at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in
Chalmette. 

It first travels west to Schnell Drive in Arabi where it makes a U-turn and
travels east to Campagna Drive in Chalmette. From there it will turn and
head back west down Judge Perez Drive. 

 

This year's royalty will include the Irish king and queen, Mike Ginart and
Molly Buckley; Italian king and queen Tommy Tommaseo and Leonarda "Nana"
Gioe; Islenos king and queen Lloyd "Wimpy" Serigne and Kathy Serpas Ziegler;
and the Canary Islands Descendants king and queen William "Larry" Gonzales
and Judy Gutierrez. 

 

In addition to the traditional parade catches, parade organization president
Chad O'Neil said the parade's 44 floats, which include about 1,600 riders,
will all be loaded down with produce, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes as
well as apples and oranges. 

 

O'Neil said he expects that 250,000 to 300,000 pounds of produce will be
thrown this year. O'Neil, who will ride in the captain's float along with
the other parade officers, including his wife, Melissia, said the best part
of the parade is that it is family focused. His two daughters, Olivia, 10,
and Gabriella, 7, ride with their parents as do many children on all the
floats, throwing to parade-goers who line the streets with their family and
friends as well.

 

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