The first Thursday of June was a day of anticipation and joy for children in Ridgewood, as they prepared to participate in the annual Anniversary Day parade. This cherished event was more than just a prelude to summer vacation; it was a celebration of faith and community that brought together thousands of people from various Protestant and, later, Catholic churches.
Over the years, the parade grew into a spectacular event, with tens of thousands of participants and onlookers lining the streets to watch the colorful floats and hear the joyful hymns. However, as time passed, the congregations dwindled, and the parade eventually came to an end. Yet, the memories of those vibrant days remain etched in the hearts of those who experienced them.
The inaugural parade and its growth
The first-ever Anniversary Day parade in Ridgewood took place on June 6, 1929under the sponsorship of the Ridgewood Sunday School Union. The parade began at two points: on the east at the corner of Van Cortland (now 71st) Avenue and Fresh Pond Road, and on the west at Putnam and Onderdonk avenues. The divisions marched through local streets, converging at the corner of Fresh Pond Road and Catalpa Avenue before returning to their respective churches.
Among the congregations that participated in the inaugural march were Ridgewood Presbyterian, St. John’s Evangelical Bible (now Methodist), Lutheran Church of the Covenant Glendale Methodist Episcopal, First German Baptist, Glendale Evangelical, Glendale Baptist, and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Church members carried flags and banners representing their congregation, adorned with sashes labeled with that year’s parade theme, such as “Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace” or “Though Many, We Are One in Christ.”
The parade’s heyday and decline
At its peak, the Anniversary Day parade was a massive event, drawing tens of thousands of participants and spectators. The New York Times reported on June 5, 1959, that 25,000 people participated in Queens, but that was just a fraction of the 150,000 who took part in the Brooklyn Sunday School Union march across the border.
Throughout the years, parishioners at each church would decorate floats with brightly colored streamers. Adults would pull the floats while children rode on them, playing hymns such as “Onward, Christian Soldiers”“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”and the “Hymn of Joy” on recorders, glockenspiels, drums, and other instruments. Once the parade concluded, the children would return to their local churches for lunches that typically included hot dogs, ice cream, and cake.
However, as the years went on, the congregations dwindled, and so did participation in the Ridgewood Anniversary Day parade. The 100th Anniversary Day march in 2009 was a shadow of its former self, relegated to a portion of Catalpa Avenue between Onderdonk Avenue and Fresh Pond Road and attended by only a few hundred people.
The final parade and lasting memories
The 2009 parade turned out to be the last of its kind. The Ridgewood Sunday School Association canceled the 2010 march due to declining interest and reductions that year in police coverage at public events. Wayne Vandermarkpresident of the association, told the Ridgewood Times in a May 20, 2010 article, “We did it for 100 years. We were happy to get to that point.” He noted that the association would consider alternatives for another celebration the following year, but it never materialized.
Even so, for those lucky enough to have participated and enjoyed those parades, they are left with memories and good feelings that will remain with them forever. The Anniversary Day parades may be a thing of the past, but their legacy lives on in the hearts of the Ridgewood community.
