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Photos: Rain ends, Greenport Maritime Festival begins

Instead of the washout Maritime Festival organizers feared, Greenport streets are awash with locals and visitors today, enthusiastically applauding the Saturday morning parade.

Without the minions of pipers who participated in recent past festival parades, the line of march seemed shorter, but it didn’t lack for either music or its ability to stir up the crowds.

Grand marshals Lillian and Bob White, lifelong Greenporters involved with the rebuilding of Long Island Beach “Bug” Lighthouse and a host of other services to the community, appeared to enjoy the ovations they received. A contingent of antique and classic vehicles appeared to be crowd favorites, as did the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps of more than 200 cadets from Greenport, Southold and Mattituck, named last spring as the best unit in the nation.

Politicians were aplenty in the crowds, but only elected officials marched in the parade. But Republicans were camped out on southern Main Street and Democrats along Front Street about half way between First and Third streets, took every opportunity to shake every hand and try to make their cases for election in November.

The enthusiastic crowd took no time in  hitting the street to visit vendors as soon as the parade ended.

A full schedule of events for the two-day festival appears on this website.

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KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO