The 2024 Bunker Hill Parade is set for this Sunday, June 16 in Charlestown.
Arthur Hurley, chairman of the Battle of Bunker Hill Parade Committee for the past two decades, said the annual parade will kick off at 12:30 p.m. from Hayes Square.
“Parade Day is this Sunday,” proudly said Hurley, a U.S. Army veteran, lifelong Charlestown resident and parade volunteer for 51 years.
According to the parade’s own website, “The Bunker Hill Parade commemorates the Battle of Bunker (which was fought in June, 1775), the Armed Services, and the essence of American heritage while celebrating the historic neighborhood of Charlestown.”
Stephen Fabiano is the Chief Marshal of Parade
Stephen Fabiano has the high honor of serving as the Chief Marshal of this year’s parade.
A resident of Charlestown, Fabiano is a veteran of the United State Marine Corps and a retired Boston Police officer.
Fabiano will be the guest of honor at the Chief Marshal’s Banquet Friday at the Knights of Columbus. The event is organized by the American Legion JW Conway Post Post 26, Charlestown.
“I’ve known Stephen’s mother since grammar school,” said Hurley. “This is a well-deserved honor for him.”
Plenty of bands and groups highlight the parade
Chairman Hurley said several bands will march in the parade, including Charlestown’s Bunker Hill Pipe Band and the Everett High School Band.
Representatives and active members of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard will march in the parade.
Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu, Rep. Dan Ryan, Sen. Sal DiDomenico, and City Councillor Gabriela Coletta Zapata are expected to march in the parade.
Hurley recalled when then-U.S. Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy marched in the Bunker Hill Parade. Kennedy went on to be elected President of the United States in 1960.
“He [Kennedy] stayed in touch in Charlestown,” said Hurley. “I grew up in the Bunker Hill Projects and I can remember JFK sitting down on the curb with the kids when he was a senator. He marched in the parade as a congressman and a senator.”
Hurley said the parade holds a special place in the hearts of Charlestown residents and veterans.
“We invite everyone to enjoy the parade,” said Hurley, who worked for the U.S. Veterans Administration in 2024. “It’s a great family event and it’s free. It’s a happy time.”