St. Charles St. Patrick’s Parade set for March 15

Celebrate all things Irish with the St. Charles St. Patrick’s Parade and family-friendly adventures on Saturday, March 15.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with the opening ceremony on the 1st Street Plaza near Gia Mia and McNally’s Irish Pub & Kitchen.

The ceremony is the perfect way to kick-off the day’s festivities, with performances from Irish dancers and bagpipers, along with a complimentary face-painter.

Following the opening ceremony, visitors can go on a St. Patrick-themed scavenger hunt. To participate, individuals will need to locate shamrocks hidden throughout the downtown.

There will be 10 shamrocks hidden within the route of the parade (6th Street and 4th Avenue). Once located, take a photo with the shamrock, scan the QR code and submit the photo along with the form found on www.stcalliance.org/shamrockhunt.

The more shamrocks that are found, the more entries participants get. Three lucky winners will be selected March 18 to win a pot of gold valued at $400. The shamrock hunt form will be available online starting March 15.

The St. Patrick’s Parade will begin at 2 p.m., stepping of at 6th Street and travel down Main Street to conclude at 4th Avenue. The parade will have bagpipers, local marching bands and many vibrant floats.

Make sure to check out the various photo opportunities located around the downtown area. On the 1st Street Plaza, stop by the “Sláinte” photo opportunity, and on Riverside Avenue across from Flagship on the Fox and Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling will be a “Leprechaun” and a new “Lucky” photo opportunity.

Many downtown businesses will also have special sales, promotions and events in honor of the day. To learn more about local deals taking place during the St. Charles St. Patrick’s Parade, visit stcstpatricksparade.com/salesandspecials.