Painesville Township St. Patrick's Day parade returns March 12

Bryson Durst, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·2 min read

Mar. 7—Painesville Township's St. Patrick's Day parade will return at 3 p.m. March 12 after it was canceled last year due to weather conditions.

Township Trustee Gabe Cicconetti said around 35 groups with 50 vehicles had registered for the parade as of March 3. Participants will ride down the north side of Mentor Avenue from the Lake County Fairgrounds to Hellriegel's Inn.

"The parade is now an important part of our year," he explained, describing the free event as a "way to gather as a community and have fun."

According to Cicconetti, new groups this year include stilt walkers from Pick Up Stix, twirlers from Emerald City and Twilight Studios, performers from Egan Irish Dance, the mounted unit and honor guard from the Lake County Sheriff's Office and racecar drivers from Painesville Speedway and Lorain Raceway Park.

Other featured groups include local businesses and the township's trustees, fire department and service department.

During and after the parade, Hellriegel's Inn will host a party with live music at its 1840 Mentor Ave. location. The party will last from 3-6 p.m. and include musicians Eric Andrews, BOS and Don Perry the Sax Man, according to a Facebook post from Andrews.

Cicconetti described how the St. Patrick's Day parade has grown over its approximately 10-year history. It was first organized by an independent group of local residents that included former Painesville Township trustees Jim Falvey and Tim Cannon. The township took over at their request in 2019, with Cicconetti noting that the event drew "thousands of attendees" when it was last held in 2021.

"Almost the entire sidewalk was full all the way down the street," he added.

The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022 due to snow.

The township will "probably accept" participant and sponsor requests until the end of March 9, Cicconetti noted. More information is available at painesvilletwp.com.

"We're just happy to be able to provide this parade for the community and our residents," he said, noting that the township is "the only community in Lake County that has a St. Patrick's associated parade, especially at this magnitude."

"We're thrilled that it's grown to what it has and look forward to seeing everybody," Cicconetti added.