It’s time to break out all things green. The 34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held Saturday at noon in Old Town. It starts on the corner of King Street and Alfred Street, just a few blocks up from our shop.
The parade runs down King St. from Alfred to Lee streets. If you’ve never attended before, be prepared for a crowd – thousands of spectators and participants are expected. Because of this, parade organizers The Ballyshaners (point of interest: this is Gaelic for “Old Towners”) are encouraging parade goers to use public transportation (the closest Metro is King St./Old Town and the free Old Town trolley will be running).
The theme of the 2015 parade is “Women of Irish Heritage,” and fittingly, the Parade Grand
Marshal is Laureen O’Neill-James, owner of the O’Neill-James School of Dance, and member of the Irish Cultural Hall of Fame.
The Ballyshaners say the parade, which is led by an honor guard representing all of the armed services, will have more than a dozen marching bands and other groups celebrating their Irish heritage.
Beyond the parade, there are two other events that add to the revelry:
If you’re a classic car fanatic, be sure to head out early to check out the Classic Car Show, located on Pitt St. between King and Cameron streets. The cars are on display at 9 a.m. with judging to begin at 10. Immediately after the judging, the winning entries join the parade line-up.
And, starting at 11 a.m., the “Fun Dog Show” will be held in Market Square. The dog show is an annual favorite and this year’s show benefits the Alexandria Animal Welfare League. The Ballyshaners say, “Local pet owners are encouraged to dress their dogs in Irish finery and help lead the parade.”
For more information about the parade or related events, check out www.ballyshaners.org.