Palatine St. Patrick's Day parade set for March 16

Palatine's ninth annual St. Patrick's Day parade will highlight the village's Paint the Town Green festivities March 16. The parade will feature about 50 entries and step off at 11 a.m. in downtown Palatine.

Parade marchers with shopping carts will collect food, clothing and disposable paper products for Journeys the Road Home, an organization serving the homeless and nearly homeless in the North and Northwest suburbs.

Among the fun after the parade at about 1 p.m. will be a firkin tapping ceremony at Emmett's Ale House. A spigot will be driven into a small wooden keg with a wooden mallet for Emmett's Irish Red and Irish Dry Stout beers

"We've planned a family-friendly day of activities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day," said event coordinator Liz Noe of ElizEvents. The premier sponsor and presenter of the festival is Durty Nellie's. The media sponsor is the Daily Herald Media Group.