Elmont/Belmont Parade Returns to Traditional Route

There are several reasons why his year's version of the Elmont/Belmont Parade, which serves as the traditional kickoff to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, is shaping up as extra special.

Following its cancellation in 2020 and continued adjustments in 2021 due to COVID-19, this year's parade will return to its traditional route down Hempstead Turnpike before culminating at Belmont Park. For the first time since 2019, hundreds of marchers will then participate in a community celebration to include live music and a variety of performances. 

The 14th annual Elmont/Belmont Parade on June 4 will once again be named in honor of Paul Sapienza, who passed away unexpectedly in December of 2020. Sapienza was the President of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce and longtime owner of Sapienza's Bake Shop, the beloved Italian pastry shop a few furlongs from Belmont Park. 

"Paul was just one of a kind, a fixture in this community," said Pat Boyle, the executive director of the Elmont-based Gateway Youth Outreach. "He was the kind of guy who would step in and do anything for Elmont. It's altogether fitting that we honor his memory as a community every year."

The parade also marks what Boyle called another step forward toward, "the new normal" -- a return to its traditional 1 1/4-mile route culminating at Belmont Park with a community celebration. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. from the parking lot of the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex and head west down Hempstead Turnpike, before making a sharp right turn through Gate 5 at Belmont. 

Making the occasion even more memorable is this year's Grand Marshal: Chaplain Humberto Chavez of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy (NYRTCA). Based on the backstretch of Belmont Park, the chaplaincy has long been a critical community component in forging lasting ties between the track and the community.

"It's an honor to be recognized at an event that celebrates the bond between Elmont and Belmont Park," said Chavez. "We look forward to marching down Hempstead Turnpike together again, and I congratulate all the organizers of the Elmont/Belmont Parade and NYRA for their dedication to this wonderful event."

At the track, NYRA will treat hundreds of marchers to lunch in the Belmont Café. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it will be the first time since 2019 that NYRA has been able to host the Elmont/Belmont participants, who are then invited to spend the day at the races.

Boyle said the parade draws about 600 marchers on average and will include members of Sapienza's family, including his son, Andrew, who continues to run the bakery. Among the participants will be elected officials, local leaders, marching bands from Elmont public schools, members of the police and fire departments, youth organizations, NYRA employees and members of the racetrack community. 

Individuals interested in marching in this year's parade should assemble at 9:30 a.m. at parking lot of the Alva T. Stanforth Sports Complex at 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont.

With the 154th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 11 as its centerpiece, this year's three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off on Thursday, June 9 and will include 17 stakes races in total, with eight Grade 1 races to be contested on Belmont Stakes Day.

For additional information and details on hospitality offerings, ticket packages and pricing for the Belmont Stakes, visit BelmontStakes.com. For full terms and conditions, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/tickets.