Did you know? According to the 2003 US Census, 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland. That means that there is a very strong possibility that you are either Irish, have kissed an Irish…or need to kiss an Irish in order to catch up with the rest of the world.

Aside from kissing an Irish, there are a lot of events going on both this Saturday, March 12th, and the official day – Thursday, March 17th for everyone to enjoy.

Pre-Parade Runs

The St. Patricks Day run downtown begins at 9am on Broadway at Ballpark Village. It’s 5 miles and goes  through downtown and midtown. For $5 you can check a bag before the run and then after you finish, change clothes and celebrate in the Michelob ULTRA Runners’ Village at Ballpark Village. The food, drink and entertainment by Pedestrians are scheduled to keep going until 4:00 pm.

The Cottleville Run for the Helmet 7K or 2-mile fun run begins at 8am on March 12th by the Fire Station, loops through Cottleville and ends by Bemo’s. The award ceremony is held at Bemo’s (formally Sherlock’s) at 9:30am.

The Parades

There are three big parades that the St. Louis area puts on: Downtown, Dogtown, and Cottleville.

The Downtown parade starts at 12pm at 18th and Market and heads East, ending at Broadway and Market. There will be over 120 units including: 5000+ marchers, floats, huge cartoon character balloons, clowns and leprechauns and of course, Mayor Slay along with other dignitaries and regional officials and the parade’s general chairman leading the parade.

St. Patrick’s Events in Cottleville: The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 12pm at Cottleville Pkwy & Weiss Rd. There is a free shuttle to take you to and from the parade. New this year: family oriented festival that includes bouncing houses and food trucks at the city’s Legacy Park.

Dogtown parade is on the official St. Patrick’s Day, Thurday, March 17th. It starts at 12:30pm at Tamm and Oakland and ends at Tamm and Manchester.  As this is a historic Irish neighborhood, if you’re looking for the real deal, and not just a place to party (although that also a major part of it), then this is the place for you. This parade is more traditional, meaning no giant floats or Scooby Doo balloons. Most of the parade are members of the St. Louis Irish-American community marching as clans under their family crests, with some dancers and and bands thrown in for good measure.

The post-parade festivities:

Aloe Plaza and Ballpark Village downtown will be hosting  events and live music. There will be Irish themed entertainment, live music from the Pedestrians, Joe Dirt Band, and Elevation, plus food, drinks and an overall good time. It will be open before, during and after the downtown parade. Another popular spot for the after-parade party is Maggie O’Brien’s at Market and 20th. They start the party at noon and they’re open until 3am, although I doubt anyone will make it that long. Tigin Irish Pub on Wash Ave will also be hosting a pancake breakfast before the parade and have live music all day including DJ Jud Mehler, Two Chix, and Spontaneous plus fun events all week long.

Dogtown of course is filled with Irish Pubs like Seamus McDaniel’s, Pat’s Bar & Grill, Felix’s, and Colombo’s Tavern. And we all know the Irish know how to party so I’d say no matter which one you go to, you’ll enjoy yourself.

Tips: There will be a large crowd at both places so arrive early to get the perfect spot. Parking will be a challenge so if you can, take a cab or the MetroLink. The Union Station metro stop would give you easy access to the downtown parade and the Central West End Station stop would be good for the Dogtown parade. Oh, and be sure to wear your green so you don’t get pinched!

Be safe and have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

 

Brought to you by Mills Properties

Photo courtesy of stlhibernians & irishparade.org