Get Your Irish Up For Parade
It’s time again for all things Irish as Spokane prepares for the 21st annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade starts at noon Saturday just north of the Spokane Convention Center on Washington.
It’s a great time to listen to Celtic bagpipes, watch Irish jigs and revel in a little taste of Ireland for the day. Several local Irish men and women will be honored during the event. This year’s Grand Marshal is city councilman Jeff Colliton, who also serves on the board of the Limerick Sister City Society.The 1999 Irish Man of the Year is Jim Ray, a civic leader who helped start the Limerick Sister City Society.
The Irish Woman of the Year is Mary Ormsby, a fourth-grade teacher at Lidgerwood Elementary who has received state and national recognition for her teaching skills.
The Irish Clan of the Year, a new category, is the Leo and Mary Driscoll family, which includes 10 children, 21 grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
Restaurant owner Tim O’Doherty is the Irish Business Person of the Year, also a new category. He owns O’Doherty’s Irish Grille, the Arizona Steakhouse and Smokey’s Barbecue.
This year’s Irish Colleen is Lisa Owens, a junior at Gonzaga Prep whose great-grandparents were born in Waterford, Ireland. Her court consists of Kaitlin Johnson, also a G-Prep junior, who can trace her ancestry to County Mayo, County Galway and County Cork. She participated in her first parade when she was five months old.
This year’s parade is expected to include more than 200 entries and will to draw thousands of spectators to the downtown sidewalks, barring snow or rain.
If you feel the urge to down green beer, wait until after the parade. No alcohol is allowed and throwing hard candy from floats is prohibited as well.
As part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, the Spokane Limerick Sister City Society will host a St. Patrick’s Day party tonight at 6 in the Champion’s Room at the Spokane Arena. The evening will include corned beef sandwiches and entertainment provided by Sheila Ryan and Sarsfield Street.
Those attending should bring their own beverage (alcohol is allowed). Glasses and soft drinks will be provided. Admission is $20.
Registrations for entries in the parade will be accepted through 11 a.m. on parade day. Forms will be available at the staging area. Check-in at the staging area, the northeast Spokane Arena parking lot, begins at 9 a.m. Commercial entries are $100, all others are free.
The parade will zigzag through downtown, winding along Spokane Falls Blvd., Bernard, Main and Stevens before ending in front of City Hall. Come early for prime viewing spots and be sure to wear green.
Boone and Washington near the staging area will close at 9 a.m. and streets on the parade route will close at 11 a.m. All streets will reopen at approximately 2:30 p.m. when the parade concludes.