{ title: 'The Freeport Baldwin Leader. (Freeport, N.Y.) 1987-current, December 08, 1994, Page 10, Image 10', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071065/1994-12-08/ed-1/seq-10/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071065/1994-12-08/ed-1/seq-10.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071065/1994-12-08/ed-1/seq-10/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn95071065/1994-12-08/ed-1/seq-10/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Freeport Memorial Library
[ • . •. .'* .. »>,.• , • i .•' * Jr> ; 1. . • ‘iT^-' • • • s % • ■ ’. ? v i ’ • •• K' ••• '; i V J .'^4 :■■' »■/ *'-ij t-r •• V -1 • • J i 'Vl . ; ~ •* : ‘ \■ / *1^ : . .• • v. 9 ’t ■ ' - i ' ' Jreeport’s 9byfan5 parades bj Anni Jeao CaccUtore FKEEPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ORIGINATED F reeport's famous Toyland P a rades. C b am b erites of the 1960$ (ar)d thereafter) w e re backed by a bustllr^ft Merrick Road a s they rode In a parade. The late Peter Baer and Fred Scalamandre a re In the back s e a t Roy Cacciatore and Mark) Blanco in from. Nosulgia, shhh... Lo the 1950s, Freeport was t shopping hob for the South Shore from the Rockswsys to Lifidenhurst. Hooter Qotbes, Irving’s Men’s Shop, Bansch’s C h ildren'i Store* Carol Oteen* Frederidotlbe Gionm Shop* Daaiigexs* Spitzler’a, Toe Viedennan* Woohvorth’s — aH were favorite stores. Christmas brought shoppers (tom miles around to Had gifts on South Main Street and M errick Road or to attend the two nxuvie theaters and eat at Beier’a o r Viebroek’s.. But the met* WHO IS MARIO BLANCO? A FTaapod T M n o n • S*)ca f 947/ We’re Proud of Our Marlol Pin, Race pees ott oT our OM aen ««riL he b Msta fifenoGk bdfer IswB M ^Ane c< RMfOB (faMtaKa” ■ 76 W. Msdei HoiA R e c ^ It teems our Local Mario woe a coveted prize ia tSe L'oreal Beautjr Prodacu ccatttf u d as a reiah, be woa biaaelf a trip io Paris, an espenaea paid far three weefca. Mario aep top execatives of L'eresl have arnafed far bla to laeet whb tte piaeaieai hair tfylista of ocher vhDe he's being eaiatamcd CTmacai. (E^lor't BOie: Slario, we know jnu*0 be b ria^a| bock the orweat fa hair*«ytisg far our ova Fteepoctea.) (TroK I V Lcodcr, J a a s r p , INQ *A MAN NAMED MAJtX)*«.Twchre peoa ago he a n a to this ooafaTwifaBDtm^moRtkuaAeeaaBdaiBtoUoBtotoe- eeed-iiowevet, be did know Us foeL He wasted to becooe ooe of Ihc best hUnhenen fa the busiaeas sad to operxie Us ewa noden afaop~No« he’s leaHad this ambirinn many hoots and yean of Biu^ aad laid work proved to be U» *'*r*il* of a n e n . Today, ^ ye« eU MARK) BLANCO (4 27 BedeB Si, PRcport. fae Bod. e a beaaty aaka toeaied fa 76 Uenkk Koad, fa toe O rw * Ibeater Boiktmg h HecpotU.Ceogntalatioos!I-Jt’s indeed a pkastfe to wria about youat tora wte nioeeed fa AffleriOL (Fnau TV Leader, 1P59) VtSfT US ..J O SEE WHAT FREEPORT HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR 40 YEARS! TO AU NEW CUSTOMERS (OR IF ITS 6 MOS. SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT) Brtr>g This Coupon A Roeolva 1/2 OFF Any Service V/ttti Any One Of Our 12 Ueenied Profestienol Hair Stylists Good d Do>s A wae/t ■ MTsofa Pome Pw C o tton' ^CMd» % & Sber or mb ^ l^aMM % « a AIW f«e»S 12/31/94 W/Coupon- dunts were already feeling the compe tition from surrounding malli, and were looking for ways to bring more shop pers into Freeport ns well is raise vil lage spirits. In 1959, led by Roy Cacciatore and the Chamber o f Commerce, the mer chants decided to raise money to bold the first T oyliad Parade. Tee Oeihaiaer* Norman Leek* B ill Martin* Sr.* Ed Martin* Henry Altengarteo* and Kent T b o m f M - all itc h e d ia to create a true holiday parade celebrating Chitnikah and Qtrisrmas. The parade featured p a n t balloons on floats, scxoc sixty feet long. Hwre were tigers tod Uoos and Aladdh aad Paul Bunyaa aad dozens more characters from Umntme. Palomino show horses praaced and downs jumped in and out of tridc cars. The m e r^aats raised $30,000 to pay these expen$e$(ia 1959 dollars!). The first parade was followed by five more until tbe mid-^xties. Tbe whole conwnuaity was tinned to join in* sad without kid power do bal- Vooa would have g o a t aaywhere. It took ()rom ten to tidrty young people to j poll each Qost. The youngsters were! pven down costumes to wear, but thnj teenagers took pride la wearing theif fiivoiite dob jsc ^ ts or jerseys as theyl pulled s floaLcxpresring their loyaltiesC^ Bands marched from Freeport and o thtf . towns.The Freeport High School a ^ ^ ; Jurtior Ifigh bands, foe Fue Depertmcal^' Band with its higtoeping drum mijqi||V*- kilted bagpipers* fife and dram coips'*'^ 'ki-i: lots o f music livened foe march. Utile . Leaguers, Legionnaires, and otht^r^ j Veteran’s groups joined in. After Ilie'. Pasyde, botdog's and soda were setued'. to the marchers by voluateers loca! service cbfos. There were antique cars, sad v a r k H ^ i'f -.'1 dubs, and church groups. But tite foevi^-'''^ vr^-« W M ^ C M lC M i Aeecpied WOMtCfcttifiem W Lay-Asm Call For Hdiday Hotn 7i/wlcC^ 0 ^olU 2 0 2 5 M e rr ick R o a d , M e rrick 375-3 5 5 6 ^ \ iNij O iii ( lirKliiLiv SI mi | hk - I iii«|m' \ I niisii.il ( . i l l s i f - ' * * \ \ Holiday Happenings Featuring: Ar Modem CoIIectiblea ★ Individual Artistry Of , Antique & Modem Repos Ar Bear Boutique ic Doil Houses Kits, Furniture & Accessories A Unique Miniatures ★ Q owti Comer A Book Nook A Doll Clothes A AMERICAN GIRL Books & Accessories A Boutique Gifts A5 A M«ys A Special Memamo From Aurelia's Wonders Of Learning 2023 Merrick Rd. Merrick 378-3556 was foe holiday theme and, ia keepi^i^.^jl there was a float with a tableau foe Nativity scene, and ooe carrying M eoonh and depteting the Chaaukal^: festival The very last float carried Santa and M rs. Merry Christmas*-i selected each year. Santa then w a s^^ ensconced in own house on Main;|^ Street where he met with little children)^ for the rest o f foe holiday seasoa Thousands of people lined tbe streets ^ to enjoy these parades -some estimates are ten thousand spectators. Tbe Freeport Historical Society has recently been ffvta a color film showing these parades. Tbe aodience viewing it at last October’s meeting were enthusiastic about seeing tbe central Village as it was* and tbe proenment Freq)oitets who joined in tbe celebrations. Mij-or Bin Gladcen and later Mayor Bob Sw*eeney led tbe digni taries on the teviewing stand. Many of today’s ootstand- j ing efeizens were J among the young people m pulling those ^ floats and Knowledge Is .* Power ^ preparing the holi day cd^ratktoS. Today we seek ways to keep kids busy and involved. Tbe parades were a symbol of foe vitality and community pride of Freeport S it Nostal^? Yes.
