Ragamuffin Parade luncheon raises funds for kiddie march
Preparations are being finalized for the 48th Annual Ragamuffin Parade, an event that features thousands of children wearing homemade costumes marching up Third Avenue in Bay Ridge to the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators lining the streets.
The parade, one of the highlights of the fall season in southwest Brooklyn, will take place on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. The parade starts at 76th Street and ends at 92nd Street. The main sponsors are the Catholic academies of Bay Ridge, including Holy Angels Academy, Saint Anselm Catholic Academy and Saint Patrick Catholic Academy.
On Sept. 21, the organizing committee held a luncheon at the Bay Ridge Manor to raise money for the big march and to officially introduce Grand Marshal the Rev. Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello and Ragamuffin Person of the Year Arlene Rutuelo. Gigantiello and Rutuelo will march at the head of the parade on Saturday.