St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Parade

By Mary Miller Cullins

The 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. in downtown St. Louis.  The parade kicks off at 18th and Market streets, rain or shine!  Floats, bands, Irish dancers, and clowns will entertain you all the way down to Broadway.  Regularly noted as one of the top parades in the country, this year’s parade is comprised of 120 units and over 5,000 marchers.  Last year, over 250,000 spectators, the largest of any event in downtown St. Louis, packed the streets in their festive green attire.

Dignitaries from Ireland and St. Louis will lead the parade, along with local elected officials from both St. Louis City and County.  This year, Board of Aldermen President, Lewis Reed, entered a 48 foot float in the parade!

Food and drink will be available at numerous locations along the parade route.  In addition, there will be an “Irish Village” at Kiener Plaza for food, fun, and entertainment all day long.  This is a family-friendly parade, so pack up the kids and crank up the car, it’s Parade Time in the Lou!