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23

Mar, 2026

Opening Day 2026 Details

Our 2026 Opening Day Parade and Festival is Saturday, March 28.

Here are all the details you need to know:

WHAT TO WEAR:

Players will wear their full game uniform (jersey, pants, and cap). All teams should match jerseys, so if you're not in the t-ball division and you have both the red or blue jerseys, your coach will communicate to your team which jersey you will wear for the parade.

If you are playing a game on Opening Day, make sure your jersey matches your home/road designation:

Home teams wear BLUE
Road teams wear RED

PARADE STAGING:

All players and coaches will meet at the St. James Lutheran Church parking lot (on the corner of Woodlawn and Second Avenues in St. James). When teams arrive, SJSLL volunteers will be there to line up each of your teams in an assigned parking space in the order you will walk in the parade. All players and coaches should arrive to staging no later than 8:30 AM.

Teams are invited to make banners to walk with in the parade. These can be handmade, printed at Staples, whatever. We will have a banner judging contest and announce a winner for both baseball and softball at the conclusion of Opening Ceremonies.

PARADE START:

The parade march will start at 9:00 AM sharp. While parents are welcome to walk in the parade (especially with younger players), we recommend finding a good spot along Woodlawn Avenue and just enjoying the moment.

The parade will head west down Woodlawn Avenue and enter Gaynor Park through the second set of gates closest to the tennis courts. As players enter the park gates, NO parents should be walking with players (this causes major congestion by the field and slows the entrance of the players). Please find a spot along the fence line of the turf field. Parents will not be permitted on the field during opening ceremonies.

Players will enter the field through the gate of the first base dugout, where they'll be greeted by the 2025 New York State Little League Baseball championship team that made national headlines last August.

OPENING CEREMONIES:

Ceremonies will begin at roughly 9:30 AM. Our league president Brian Erni will MC the brief ceremonies, where we will be joined by Town Supervisor Edward Wehrheim and other special guests from his Town Council and our local governments. After ceremonies, players will clear the field so preparations for our Opening Day games can begin.

GAMES AND FESTIVAL:

After ceremonies, our league families are invited to enjoy a full day of a family festival. There will be bounce houses (located by the back of the tennis courts), complimentary barbecue, and the opportunity to purchase exclusive Bulls merchandise, including brand new Nike Smithtown Bulls caps and hoodies, Flow Society shorts, Yeti cups and can coolers, and more!

In addition, we will have a full slate of exciting Little League games. Here is the schedule:

10:30 AM:

Gaynor 3: Erni vs. Zupo (Minors BB - AL)
Gaynor 2: Viggiani vs. Alaia (Majors BB)
Gaynor 1: Walker vs. Papasofoklis (Majors BB)

12:15 PM:

Gaynor 3: Conway vs. Savage (Majors SB)
Gaynor 2: Flynn vs. Havranek (Majors BB)
Gaynor 1: Hyne vs. Black (Minors BB - NL)

2:00 PM:

Gaynor 3: Bosinius vs. Keyes (Minors BB - AL)
Gaynor 2: Atanasio vs. Anderson (Minors SB)
Gaynor 1: Sheron vs. Murphy (Minors BB - NL)

***

We hope you enjoy our 70th annual Opening Day! These moments truly do last forever, and we can't wait to make it a special day for all of you. See you all next Saturday!

Website Manager

ST. JAMES-SMITHTOWN Little League

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23

Mar, 2026

Opening Day 2026 Details

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St. James - Smithtown Little League

St. James - Smithtown Little League

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