For some, the unofficial start to summer is Memorial Day, but for Dorchester residents, it’s the first Sunday of every June, the day of the Dorchester Day Parade. This year the 118th annual parade will take place on June 2, beginning as usual at 1 p.m. in Lower Mills at the corner of Washington Street and Dorchester Avenue and traveling along Dot Ave to Savin Hill and the finish at Columbia Road. 

Dot Day Parade president Brianne Gore describes June 2 as “a day that we celebrate our beautiful community and all the different representations we have.” Added Parade Treasurer Kelly Walsh: “It’s a day to bring everybody together and celebrate everybody in one cohesive place, which doesn’t always happen.”

While the parade roster has yet to be finalized, Gore and Walsh are especially excited to see kids from local organizations walk the 3.2-mile stretch up the avenue. They include the Dorchester Elite Eagles, Level Ground Mixed Martial Arts, the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, the Kenny School Marching Band led by Jerry Chu, and students from several neighborhood schools. 

“It’s fun for the kids who are participating,” said Walsh. “They have an opportunity to walk and play their instruments and have everyone clap and cheer for them.”

In addition to the sounds of drums, flutes, and trombones, the streets will be filled with laughter and cheers representing the appreciation residents have for their home neighborhood. 

Gore experienced this at her first Dot Day Parade when she moved to the neighborhood almost 25 years ago. “It really sparked my love of Dorchester,” she said. “I saw how important the community is to all of us here and it’s a place I never want to leave. You feel it everywhere you go. It’s awesome.”

The parade also helps expand how residents understand their neighborhood. “It’s a good opportunity for people to see the different cultures and groups that are a part of Dorchester,” Walsh said. This includes representatives from the Vietnamese, Cape Verdean, and LGBTQ+ communities. 

She added, “When you’re in your own neighborhood you see exactly what’s around you, but you don’t see Dorchester as a whole and the parade helps with that.” 

Also very much in attendance at the parade will be the 2024 honorary mayor of Dorchester, Maeghan Driscoll. Gore said that Driscoll leads with dedication and enthusiasm and can lead the parade the same way.  

Close by will be this year’s chief marshal, Jeff Buckley. “Jeff is a laborer from Local 223 but he’s also a Marine Corps veteran and has been very active in ADSL,” said Walsh. “We felt he was a good fit for chief marshal and represented what many residents of Dorchester represent, getting out there and giving back to the community and helping people in whatever way that they can.” As the parade date draws near, the committee is still taking donations and looking for volunteers. For more information visit dotdayparade.org.