Local merchants, community veteran associations, school groups and marching brands also participated in the parade festivities among hundreds of Bronx residents and families in attendance to engage in the annual event<\/a>.<\/p>\n Participating institutions included elementary and middle schools\u2014P.S. 83, St. Clare of Assisi School, Van Nest Academy and St. Theresa School\u2014as well as several local Catholic high school, including St. Raymond Academy for Girls, Preston, Maria Regina, Cardinal Hayes, Cardinal Spellman and Monsignor Scanlan.<\/p>\n The parade\u2019s grand marshal was professional singer, entertainer and recording artist Lisa Messina, a St. Catharine Academy alum. Messina sang \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner,\u201d while her partner, John Micalizzi, performed the Italian National Anthem, \u201cIl Canto degli Italiani\u201d (The Song of the Italians), also widely known as \u201cFratelli d\u2019Italia\u201d or \u201cInno di Mameli.\u201d<\/p>\n At the after-party following the parade, which took place at longtime family-owned Italian restaurant Pasta Pasta on Williamsbridge Road, Messina performed a mix of Italian and American classics. Messina\u2019s partner, John Micalizzi, performed the Italian National Anthem.<\/p>\n G&R Deli co-owner Carolina DiFucci, who went viral in July 2024 for her \u2018Italian Ice Cream Cone\u2019 concoction, served as honorary grand marshal for the parade.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bronx elected officials including Borough President Vanessa Gibson, NYC Council Member Shirley Aldebol as well as NYS Assembly members John Zaccaro and Michael Benedetto were also in attendance for the annual celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is always an honor to attend the Columbus Day parade in Morris Park,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cEven in the rain, Italian American pride was on full display, and thank you to the organizers and participants who braved the elements to host another great parade.\u201d<\/p>\n Bronx Columbus Day Parade Committee chair Phyllis Nastasio, who is also the second vice president of the Morris Park Community Association, was proud of the fact the parade was able to persevere despite the inclement weather. and expressed the significance of launching the yearly spectacle.<\/p>\n \u201cTo Italians, family and culture are everything,\u201d Nastasio said. \u201cHere in Morris Park, we celebrate our culture along with our community \u2013 even in a downpour.\u201d<\/p>\n The Morris Park Business Improvement District (Morris Park BID) also understood the neighborhood\u2019s devotion to heritage and the importance of upholding tradition in one of the city\u2019s historic, tight-knit Italian-American communities.<\/p>\n \u201cMorris Park [celebrates] Italian culture, heritage and contribution to America \u2013 by showing resilience and commitment to the tradition,\u201d the Morris Park Business Improvement District said in an Instagram post<\/a> on Oct. 11.<\/p>\n Morris Park BID executive director, Camelia Tepelus, said in spite of the rain, Sunday\u2019s parade was still a fantastic experience to take part in.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very thrilled [the Morris Park Community Association] continued the tradition for its 49th year,\u201d Tepelus told the Bronx Times. \u201cThe parade was a great experience and a real test of resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n Schools located outside the borough, including Salesian High School in New Rochelle and Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale also made the trip to participate in and celebrate the Italian-American tradition.<\/p>\n Maria Regina High School student Giulia Broccoli, a Morris Park resident, was named \u201cMiss Columbus\u201d in this year\u2019s parade, while Gianna DiDomenico from St. Theresa School was named \u201cJr. Miss Columbus.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody at the parade was enthusiastic and the parade went on as usual,\u201d said MCPA vice president Frank Vignali.\n<\/p>\n That night, red white and green lights, installed by the Morris Park BID, illuminated the fence of nearby Loreto Park.\n<\/p>\n Laura Guerriero, publisher of the Bronx Times, served as the Honorary Grand Marshal at last year\u2019s Columbus Day parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/COLUMBUSDAYPARADE2026_2.jpg\")
Despite the rain, Dr. Camelia Tepelis and Assemblymember Michael Benedetto joined hundreds of East Bronx residents at the 49th annual Bronx Morris Park Columbus Day Parade on Sunday, Oct. 11. Photo courtesy of Morris Park BID<\/p>\n