MARCH 19, 2026 | FREE
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EDITION CHICOPEE
Healey makes Chicopee stop to announce future plans Gov. Maura Healey made a stop in Chicopee on March 7 to meet with local leaders and residents as part of her campaign stops in Western Massachusetts and across the state.
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Nonna’s Village brings possibilities of fun to Chicopee Nonna’s Village hosted a grand opening event on March 6 to introduce its multi-recreation business to the community at 84-86 Main St.
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HOLYOKE
Holyoke schools’ projected FY27 budget reflects a $2.6 million budget gap Holyoke Public Schools face a $2.6 million budget gap, according to a presentation that was shared with the School Committee on March 9 by interim Superintendent Anthony Soto.
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Parade to include sensory-friendly area By Ryan Feyre
rfeyre@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — Winter’s twilight is mercifully upon us, which means “green season” is about to reach its apex with the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. While most of the weekend will remain unaltered, there is one notable addition to this year’s festivities: a sensory-friendly viewing area from Elm Street through Maple Street on Appleton Street. According to Holyoke St. Patrick’s Committee President Jim Wildman, the two-block section of the route will serve as a designated area for families, children and individuals who want a calmer environment. The zone will take effect from Elm Street through Maple Street with no emergency lights or flashing lights and no sirens or amplified alarms. Bands during this portion will also play strings only. Wildman said the idea for this section spawned from his time marching in the Tralee St. Patrick’s Day parade during a trip to Ireland last year. He shared that the band and music stopped, and they noticed some children with headphones on. When he returned from the trip, Wildman said he made sure to add a similar zone to the Holyoke parade this year. He shared that Magic for Maddie and the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts are sponsoring this initiative. “I told the parade coordinator, and a few others, I said, ‘we have to do this,’ and they all agreed, we were all in agreement,” Wildman said. “We’re hoping that this is a huge success.” The rest of 2026 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, which will include the 49th annual 10k road race on March 21 and the 73rd St. Patrick’s Parade on March 22,
2025 second place open theme winner “There’s No Place Like Jericho.” Reminder Publishing submitted photo
will remain unaltered. In a recent podcast episode of “So That Reminds Me” Wildman and Holyoke Grand Colleen Jaydn Christie reflected on their excitement for the weekend’s festivities, including the focus on celebrating surrounding communities. “It’s very much a dedication for all our regionals; and again, without them, we don’t have much of a parade,” Wildman said. “So, that’s why we try to get out, we try to network with all of them.” The yearly networking with
other communities has yielded a sizable economic impact throughout the region. Wildman said a financial study done 15 years ago found that the parade weekend that year brought in $22 million from events, sales, restaurants, hotels and everything else that factors into the weekend. This year, Wildman said the goal is to spearhead another financial study. He shared that it’s important to capture the weekend’s impact because the celebration touches people from not just the region, but around the globe. “We’re broadcasting 22
[News], we have a million viewers, and we have another, I think, three or four hundred thousand that watch us online,” Wildman said. “Outside of that, as far away as Australia, Poland, Hawaii … we have these people that are from Holyoke that have moved because they can’t make it home for the weekend, they’re still trying to get involved with that homecoming and enjoy the parade.” The weekend’s camaraderie is felt right at home too, especially See PARADE on page 2