Dorchester Avenue was hopping Sunday afternoon — full of kids chasing bubbles, musicians sounding off and residents showing off their neighborhood pride for the 118th Dorchester Day Parade.
“I love it when you can see the community out like this,” said Issac Brown, wearing a Dorchester shirt and narrowly missing a stream from a water gun on a party bus driving by. … “I’ve lived around here for decades and been out for the parade almost every year. People are always excited to come out, bring the kids, gather with the neighbors.”
Dorchester Day, marked on the first Sunday in June, began in 1904 as a celebration of the founding of Dorchester on Savin Hill in 1630 and was followed by the first parade in 1905. Dorchester is Boston’s largest and one of the most diverse neighborhoods.
The current day parade winds a 3.2 mile path along Dorchester Ave. leading up to Savin Hill through early Sunday afternoon.
The parade was led by a group including Mayor Michelle Wu and and the parade’s 2024 Chief Marshall Jeffrey Buckley. Young Miss Dorchester Isabella Robbins and Little Miss Dorchester Nicole Adkins — snacking idly as she waved from her perch — followed behind.
The parade featured a variety of floats and performers, from politicians, to the Dorchester Food Co-op, to the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester’s 50th anniversary float, to the Mather School’s 385th anniversary float.
“You’re smashing it!” hollered Billy Walters as brass band blared by.
Shortly after several older women jumped up to dance as a marching band broke out a lively version of “Tequila.”
“Anything to get the kids outdoors,” said mother-of-three Beth Santos, glancing towards a corgi loudly goading the National Lancers’ horses clomping by. “They’re having a great time.”
“I loved the dancers,” concurred her 9-year-old daughter Maria, adding “I want to come back next year.”
