96th Annual July 4th Celebration in Arthur Manor

On a slightly hazy and overcast morning, the Arthur Manor Neighborhood Association held its 96th Annual 4th of July parade and picnic in Arthur Manor. This annual neighborhood association celebration first started in 1928!

The parade participants and marchers gathered at the corner of Bell and Sprague Roads at 9:15 am on Thursday morning to compete in the various categories of parade and float participants. The judges diligently reviewed and ranked the individual and group marchers in categories such as most patriotic costumes, strollers, tricycles, pets, and of course the floats.

At 9:45 am, a special Scarsdale Police Department escort led the parade, accompanied first by the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 (founded on Sprague Road in 1893) together with all of the July 4th marchers, including Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest and Village Trustees Dara Gruenberg and Jeremy Wise, starting first from Bell and Sprague Roads, down Sprague Road to Lyons Road, turning onto Grand Boulevard and then marching into Davis Park. Volunteer Fireman Micheal Keating was also on hand for the parade and drove his antique fire truck in the parade.

Once all the marchers and parade watchers reached Davis Park, the traditional 4th of July ceremony was held before the flag pole at the North end of the park.

The ceremony began with the raising of our nation’s flag by the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company No. 1’s color guard. The crowd then observed a moment of silence to remember all of the men and women in the U.S. military who sacrificed so much for liberty and democracy in the United States and abroad. Long time Arthur Manor resident Richard Gast then beautifully sang the National Anthem which was immediately followed by the crowd reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest then addressed the crowd gathered in Davis Park on the significance of the July 4th holiday and the connection of this important holiday to the Scarsdale community at large. Also in attendance in the crowd was Arthur Manor’s favorite son and Uncle Sam (played, as always, with perfection by Teegan Lee).

Shortly after Mayor Arest spoke, former Arthur Manor President Al Stuart conducted the awards ceremony for the day’s marchers and other parade participants in the various categories such as patriotic costumes, floats, bicycles, tricycles, and most patriotically dressed pets. A separate list of the winners follows below.

Also in attendance yesterday was Matthew Goldstein of the Conservation Advisory Council who had a table in Davis Park to promote the Village’s food scrap and composting system. The Arthur Manor association encourages all of its residents to participate in the Village’s food scrap program.

The Arthur Manor Neighborhood Association’s July 4th parade and picnic was sponsored by its own members and the awards for the 2024 parade and field events were provided by local merchants such as Amore Pizza and Big Top Toys on Weaver Street, Bouno Amici on Scarsdale Avenue, Carvel on Mill Road, Gianonni’s Deli and Jackie B’s on Garth Road, Happy Days Pizza and Mona Lisa Salumeria on Post Road, Funky Monkey, Italian Village Pizza, Scoop and Seven Woks at the Golden Horseshoe, Bango Bowls, Bronx River Books, Popojito’s, Learning Express, Starbucks and Martine’s in the Village Center, Pizzarelli’s on Depot Place in the Village, Scarsdale Bagels on Garth Road, Via Forno on Garth Road and Scarsdale Pastry on Weaver Street. Trader Joes in Eastchester donated the large amount of eggs for the association’s final field event, the egg toss - first appearing at Arthur Manor’s July 4th picnic in 1944. The Arthur Manor association always encourages all of its residents to buy local where possible.

At the conclusion of the 4th of July ceremony, the crowd walked to the other end of Davis Park for the annual field events including the three-legged race, parent-child relay race, potato sack and wheel-barrow races, and Arthur Manor’s all-time favorite, the annual “egg toss” - first appearing at Arthur Manor’s July 4th picnic in 1944. The field games were again skillfully managed by Arthur Manor’s own Andrew Krause. (A list of the winning field event participants also follows below).

This year’s egg-toss was won by Kiely and Chris Piekarski! Second place egg-toss winners were Amoreo and Kai Benevento with 3rd place winners Amanda Gallace and Charlie Kaplan. Congratulations to all those who participated in the 2024 egg toss event!

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Lots of laughter could be heard and many good memories were made by all of those attending the July 4th celebration in Davis Park this year. It was also a chance for neighbors who have not seen each other in some time to reconnect with each other and for new residents to make new friends in Arthur Manor.

Hosting the event was Arthur Manor Neighborhood Association President, Matt Martin.

The Arthur Manor July 4th parade and celebration is made possible only through the collective efforts of the many Arthur Manor volunteer residents including especially the Mancini, Marcus, Roche, Porco, Krause, Bonanno, Bongiorno, Cover, Salazar and Stuart families, and all of the other Arthur Manor volunteers too numerous to list here. A tremendous THANK YOU to all those residents who helped make the special day happen!

The Arthur Manor association wishes to thank the staff at the Village Hall including the Manager’s office, the Highway department, and the police and fire departments for helping to make this annual event a reality.

The Arthur Manor association also encourages all of its residents to start practicing now for the July 4th, 2025 egg toss.

Arthur Manor 4th of July Celebration Parade Winners, July 4, 2024

Marchers in Patriotic Costumes
1st place: Olivia and Sophia Elliott
2nd place: Charlotte Dietz
3rd place: Shelby
Honorable Mention: Mila

Scooters
1st place: Lily Bandsma
2nd place: Reagan Bandsma
3rd place: Abby Garvey
Honorable Mention: Margo Bandsma and Leah Stone

Bicycles
1st place: Leila Capossela
2nd place: Penny Stuart
3rd place: Ally Cole
Honorable Mention: Owen Stelzer

Tricycles
1st place: Ryder Tarantino

Carriages and Strollers
1st place: Josh and Myles Koppel
2nd Place: Everett and Ellie Beok
3rd Place: Joshua Elliott
Honorable Mention: Eli Stone

Floats:
1st place: Hazel and Izzy Colin and Anna Shrinp, “Happy Birthday America”
2nd place: Jack, Amelia Harzner and Jack, Sloan, Ezra and Emmy Callaghan, “Arthur Manor Olympians are Made Here”
3rd place: Chris, Jeanie, and Grace Horne Family, “A League of Their Own”

Arthur Manor 4th of July Celebration Field Events, July 4, 2024

Dash
1st Heat: 5 yrs. Old and under, boys and girls together
1st- Austin
2nd- Aiden
3rd- Christopher
2nd Heat: 6 and 7 old, boys and girls together
1st- Noah
2nd- James
3rd – Elizabeth
3rd Heat: 8,9,10 year old, girls
1st- Lillian Peterson
3rd- Emme and Aubry
4th Heat: 8,9,10 year old, boys
1st- Johan Schuerlein
2nd- Ben
3rd- Dylan
5th Heat: 11 yr old and older, girls
1st- Malu Gonzalez
2nd- Monica
3rd- Lily
6th Heat: 11 yr old and older, boys
1st- Sasha
2nd- David
3rd-xxxxxxxxxx

Wheelbarrow Race (Teams of two, boys and girls mixed)
1st Heat: 7 yrs old and under
1st- Shea and Natalie
2nd- James and Noah
3rd- Albert and Jack
2nd Heat: 8,9,10 yr olds
1st- Grace and Kiely
2nd- Ben and Luke
3rd – Aubrey and Minyi
3rd Heat: 11 yr old and older
1st- Lilly and Alisa
2nd- Vivian Hanawa and Sophia Elliott
3rd- Ella Peterson and Avony Mesola

Potato Sack Race/ Girls
1st Heat: Girls 6 and under
1st- Aden Fischesser
2nd- Sheila Piekarski
3rd- Natalie
2nd Heat: Girls, 7 and 8 yr olds
1st- Olivia Garvey
2nd- Lindsey Holdsez
3rd- Kiely Piekarski
3rd Heat: Girls, 9 and 10 yr olds
1st- Lillian Peterson
2nd- Grace Piekarski
3rd- Aubry Lin
4th Heat: Girls, 11yr old and older
1st-
2nd- Alisa Schulz
3rd- Ella Peterson

Potato Sack Race/Boys
1st Heat: Boys, 6 yrs and under
1st- James Rodriguez
2nd- Austin Carr
3rd- Leo Pollaro
2nd Heat: Boys, 7 and 8 yrs old
1st- Noah Hanawa
2nd- Albert Zhang
3rd- James Haggerty
3rd Heat: Boys, 9 and 10 yrs old
1st- Johan Schuerlein
2nd- Ben Maibrunn
3rd- Will Mehlich

Parent-Child Relay
1st Heat: Children 5 and Under
1st: Kieran Piekarski
2nd: Molly and Anne Marie Mostin
3rd: Leon and Doug Stone
2nd Heat: 6,7, 8 year olds
1st: Timothy Haggerty
2nd: Kiely Piekarski
3nd Heat: 9 and 10 Year Olds
1st- Grace and Chris Piekarski
2nd- Lillian and Marty Peterson
3rd- Johan and Shawn Schuerlein
4th Heat: 11 year olds and older
1st- Marty and Monica Peterson
2nd- Lily and Taishi Tamura
3rd- Mike and Theo Merola

Three Legged Race (Teams of Two, Boys and Girls Mixed)
1st Heat: 6 and under
1st- Elizabeth del Vaalle and Marie Kate Cococcia
2nd- Shea Piekarski and Natalie Schweitzer
3rd- James Rodriguez and Owen Stelzer
2nd Heat: 6 and Under

3nd Heat: 7 and 8 yr olds
1st – Lindsey Hojesz and Emma Dapp
2nd- Rebecca Stone and Olivia Garvey
3rd- Malula Schuerlein and Ally Cole
4th Heat: 9 and 10 yr olds
1st- Kiely and Grace Piekarski
2nd- Brooke Biondi and Lillian Peterson
3rd- Ben Maibrunn and Luke Schweitzer
5th Heat: 11 years old and older
1st: Vivian Hanawa and Grace Horne
2nd: Olivia Elliott and Sophia Elliott
3rd: Patrick Haggerty and Dylan Danahy

Egg Toss
1st- Kiely and Chris Piekarski
2nd- Amoreo and Kai Benevento
3rd – Amanda Gallace and Charlie Kaplan