Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
Luck is sure to shine upon St. Paul this March when its streets are flooded with all things Irish – most notably the swaths of people clad in green cheerfully marching in (or viewing) the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Due to the holiday falling on a Sunday this year, the parade will be held Saturday, Mar. 16. It kicks off at noon sharp from Rice Park and travels about half mile along 5th St. E., ending at Mears Park, where food trucks and a variety of vendors will be stationed.
The event has been organized by the St. Patrick’s Day Association, a St. Paul-based nonprofit, since 1967 and typically draw hundreds of people from Minnesota and the surrounding states. This year’s festivities include the “Ballpark Hooley,” a post-parade party held 1-3 p.m. at CHS Field. It will feature live music from the Surfs and Rattle and Hum, Irish dancing by Rince na Chroi, drink specials and more. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door.
“It’s just a short little after party,” said St. Patrick’s Day Association president Hayden Kilkenny. “We don’t want to take too much business away from the pubs downtown and along West Seventh. Another thing we’ll probably do again this year is give a discount for ballpark hooley tickets if you go to the events at the Landmark Center.” The Landmark Center, located adjacent to Rice Park, is hosting its annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in partnership with Irish Arts Minnesota. The event will feature Irish dance and cuisine, Celtic vendors, pipe bands, children’s crafts and more. Cost is $7-9.
Kilkenny has fond childhood memories of traveling from Wisconsin with her family to attend the parade. She got involved with the St. Patrick’s Day Association after running for Ms. Shamrock in 2018. She is now in the second year of her three-year term as president.
Leading the parade is grand marshal David McCabe, a St. Paul police patrol commander and president of the Emerald Society of Minnesota, and celebrity grand marshal Dan Patrick from the Dan Patrick Show. Jim Flaherty, owner of Pauly’s Pub & Grill, is the new Mr. Pat, and the new Ms. Shamrock will be selected from 11 Shamrock princesses at 6:30 p.m., March 12 at the Minnesota Music Café, 501 Payne Ave. No motorized vehicles are in the parade and families are encouraged to join the procession. To register, each group must fill out a short form on the St. Patrick Day Association’s website and submit $75.
In the six weeks leading up to the parade, royalty members sprint to sell as many commemorative St. Patrick’s Day buttons as possible. Anyone who purchases one will be entered into a raffle for a $1,500 cash prize. Buttons are $5 and can be found at Irish on Grand, 1124 Grand Ave., any metro area Blaze Credit Union. Royalty members will also be selling them at local businesses and the lineup of locations can be found on the calendar on the St. Patrick’s Day Association website.
“We work year-round to support the parade and make it still viable,” said Kilkenny. “It’s a great tradition that lots of people in St. Paul love to participate in. I think it’s important to have these kinds of community celebrations where everyone gets together with their neighbors and the people that live in their city. There have been so many (parades and festivals) in recent years that have gone by the wayside so we feel it’s very important and almost urgent to make sure we’re raising money and keeping this going.”
The St. Patrick’s Day Association is entirely volunteer run and donates $10,000 annually to local charities such as Irish Network Minnesota, Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Paul Police Band, Our Lady of Peace and Catholic Charities. Other fundraising events include the Ms. Shamrock coronation, and the Wearin O’ the Green formal dinner party, also known as Irish Prom, held this year March 7 at Fiesta Feliz event center, 2900 Rice St., Little Canada. The Association also participates in the Vulcan Torchlight Parade during the Winter Carnival, parades in other cities throughout the year, has a booth at Irish Fair in the August, and organizes a “halfway to St. Patrick’s Day celebration” in September. For more information, visit stpatsmn.org.
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