St. Charles to go green at St. Patrick’s Day parade

It doesn’t matter if you’re Irish or not. It’s about having a good time.

The 13th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10, 2012, on Main and 6th streets in downtown St. Charles. The theme is “A Family Friendly Town.”

The event is newly organized this year by the Pride of the Fox, Inc., along with the St. Patrick’s Day Committee.

“I’m very excited about the new events we’re having for families,” said Darlene Riebe, one of the parade’s co-chairs.

This year the event will feature an Irish Festival complete with bag pipers, Irish dancers, food, and hands-on children’s activities. There will even be a dog costume contest.

“Come for the parade and stay downtown for the day,” Riebe said.

The festival will take place in the municipal center parking lot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grand Marshals for the parade will be the award-winning drill teams from St. Charles East and North high schools.

“(The drill teams) truly represent the spirit of this year’s parade theme,” said co-chair Betsy Penny. “Their annual Kick-A-Thon event raises thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society and Living Well Cancer Resource Center.

“Their fundraiser unites the community and is one of the many reasons Family Circle magazine selected St. Charles to be the number one city for families,” Penny said.

Parade entries will be judged during the parade and can win awards in the business, children’s and nonprofit categories. Ninety entries are expected.

Detailed information about sponsorships, entry forms, parade regulations, and volunteer information are all available on the Pride of the Fox, Inc. website, www.prideofthefox.com and on the group’s Facebook page.

Pride of the Fox, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to community service. The organization also produces River Fest, which will celebrate 30 years in downtown St. Charles June 8-10.