Downtown St. Paul's annual St. Patrick's Day parade returns March 17

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·3 min read

Mar. 2—Call it the luck of the Irish, or just 55 years of persistent planning, but St. Paul's St. Patrick's Day parade is back in action.

The St. Patrick's Association is reconvening its signature festivity at noon on March 17, a Thursday, with a parade kick-off in downtown Rice Park. The route, the reverse of the traditional parade path through downtown, will lead revelers to the "Ballpark Hooley," a post-parade party at CHS Field in Lowertown, where live music and Irish dancers will entertain audiences.

The party, which will also feature concourse beer specials and food, is sponsored by Guinness, with entry fees $5 in advance, $10 at the door and $40 for the "VIP" Irish lunch buffet in the Securian Financial Club. Children under age 5 get in free.

Cue the bagpipers, Miss Shamrock, Mr. Pat and other Irish dignitaries, and a shout or few of "Erin go Bragh!" The event begins at Fifth and Market streets and will travel along Fifth, ending around Sibley Street near Mears Park.

PANDEMIC PUT PARADE ON HOLD

The parade, organized by the volunteer-driven St. Patrick's Association in 1967, was canceled with days to go in 2020 due to concerns about COVID-19, still a large unknown then in the early days of the pandemic. Last year, the parade wasn't canceled but it was brought to a standstill, with parade units marching in place in the parking lot of the former Sears building on Rice Street and revelers invited to drive by.

The "LuckyPalooza" street celebration, which has been held on West Seventh Street since 2015, will not return this year. Other events leading up to St. Patrick's Day are coming back:

— At 4 p.m. on March 6, Jimmy's Event Center in Vadnais Heights will host the WOG party, which stands for the Wearin O'The Green, otherwise known as St. Paul's Irish prom. Tickets are $60 or $400 for a table of eight.

— At 5 p.m. on March 15, the Minnesota Music Cafe at 501 Payne Ave. will host the Miss Shamrock Coronation.

Visit St. Paul, the city's tourism bureau and convention authority, maintains an online blog detailing key aspects of the city's Irish roots. Among them: Minnesota's first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in St. Paul in 1851. Nine out of 10 St. Paul mayors were Irish between 1932 and 1972, as were two modern-day mayors, Randy Kelly and Chris Coleman.

PARADE BROUGHT BACK IN THE 1960S

St. Paul's long parade tradition was halted for half a century by a religious leader named (of all things) John Ireland, the Irish-born first archbishop of St. Paul. In the pre-Prohibition era, Ireland disapproved of what he reportedly termed at the time to be the "midnight orgies" fueled by the march and put a stop to the supposed debauchery — and the processionals — shortly before World War I. His hold would stick for 50 years.

Then, in 1966, Bob Gallivan, owner of downtown's Gallivan's bar, Pioneer Press sports columnist Don Riley, businessmen Charley O'Leary and Jim Shiely and a federal judge, Edward J. Devitt, figured it was better to ask their priest for forgiveness than permission and conspired to bring back the St. Paddy's Day fun. The St. Patrick's Association was born, and the parade was reborn.

The association is selling commemorative buttons to raise funds for the parade and local charities, and each button comes with a chance to enter a drawing to win $1,500. Buttons will be on sale at Joe & Stan's Pub and Grill, 949 W. Seventh St., and at Irish on Grand, 1124 Grand Ave., among other locations.

Whether you're ready to join the crowd or not, Visit St. Paul is inviting residents to post pictures and messages to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #MySaintPaul to show off how they'll be celebrating.

More parade day information is online at the St. Patrick's Association website stpatsmn.org.