UPDATED FOR 2026
Montauk's St. Patrick's Day Parade Returns: Everything You Need to Know for 2026
The Montauk Friends of Erin bring Long Island’s most beloved St. Patrick’s Day parade back to the East End on March 29. Here’s what to know before you go.
There’s no shortage of St. Patrick’s Day parades on Long Island in March. From Wantagh to Huntington to Garden City, the green comes out up and down the Island all month long. But for Long Islanders who’ve made the trip out to Montauk on a late-March Sunday, there’s a reason they keep going back.
The Montauk Friends of Erin’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is something different.
It’s been running for over six decades, it draws an estimated 40,000 spectators in a village whose year-round population is a fraction of that, and it manages to feel like a community block party that just happens to have pipe bands and Irish dancers. This year, it returns on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
About the Parade
The Montauk Friends of Erin have been organizing the parade since its earliest years, and the 2026 edition marks another chapter in a tradition that has outlasted multiple generations of Montauk families. The parade steps off at noon from Edgemere Road near the Montauk Fire Department and runs into the village center on Main Street — a short route through the heart of town that makes it easy to catch the whole thing from one spot.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Steve “Puck” Dolan, a familiar face to anyone who’s spent time at the Montauket — the landmark bar where Puck spent 38 years behind the bar before recently retiring as head bartender. The Friends of Erin reportedly caught him off guard with the honor. “I’m flabbergasted that they asked me” was his reaction when he found out. For Montauk regulars, it’s a fitting tribute to someone who’s been a fixture of the community for decades.
The events leading up to the parade are worth knowing about too. The Grand Marshal Luncheon takes place on Friday, March 27 — a tradition that goes back to 1988 — and the Friends of Erin’s annual cocktail party, one of the organization’s main fundraising events, is held the evening before the parade. Details on tickets for those events are available through the Montauk Friends of Erin directly at montaukfriendsoferin.org.
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A Cherished Community Event for 64 Years
The Montauk St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t always the event it is today. It started, according to the Friends of Erin, as a way to put a cap on winter — a community celebration to mark the end of the slower months and welcome the season ahead. Montauk in late March is still cool and often windswept, but the crowd energy makes it feel warmer than the thermometer says.
What’s kept the parade going for more than six decades is the same thing that keeps any community tradition alive: people who care about it enough to keep showing up, volunteering, and writing the checks to make it happen.
A parade of this scale costs real money — the Friends of Erin have noted production costs in excess of $80,000 in recent years — and the organization funds it through donations, the raffle, and the fundraising events. If you’re planning to go, knowing that context is a good reason to pick up a ticket to one of the pre-parade events or drop a donation on their site.
Worth the Drive From Nassau or Western Suffolk
Montauk is about 120 miles from the Nassau County line — two hours on a good day, more on a summer weekend, but late March traffic is nothing like summer. If you’ve never made the drive for this parade, it’s one of those Long Island experiences that feels genuinely different from anything closer to home.
The village comes alive in a way it doesn’t until Memorial Day weekend. Restaurants and bars that have been running on winter hours ramp back up, locals who’ve been hunkered down all season come out, and the combination of East End scenery and a genuine community celebration makes it an easy day trip.
Check the Friends of Erin’s site for updated route information, parking suggestions, and any changes to the schedule closer to March 29.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Montauk St. Patrick's Day Parade?
The Friends of Erin Montauk St. Patrick’s Day Parade happens on March 29, 2026.
Where does the Montauk St. Patrick's Day Parade start?
The Montauk St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 12:00PM on Edgemere Road. The parade will pass through Main Street before ending at the Montauk IGA.
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