Palatine preparing to paint town green
Palatine will “Paint the Town Green” on Saturday, March 17, at the community’s second annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, featuring a parade, Irish market and festivities at various businesses throughout town.
“We’ve planned a family-friendly day of activities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” said event coordinator Liz Noe. “We’ll have Irish food, drink, entertainment and shopping. This is going to be a great day and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the community.”
“Paint the Town Green” will feature a tented Irish Market at 180 N. Smith St. from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. The market will have 16 vendors, including Long Grove’s Paddy’s on the Square, the McNulty Irish Dancers who will teach Irish dance, Bead World with Celtic jewelry and Safari Childcare’s face painting and other kid’s activities.
There will be a variety of music throughout the day with fingersytle guitarist Merv Collins at 9 a.m., Guyz with Bad Eyez performing for two hours at 10 a.m. and Irish music from the duo of Dr. Gerry Aylward and Dave Kunzweiler from noon to 1 p.m.
The parade will step off at 11 a.m., starting near the community parking lot at 200 E. Wood St., west to Brockway and south to Wilson Street. The parade has more than 40 entries and 600 participants including the Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band, McNulty Irish Dancers, Trinity Irish Dancers, the Little Leprechauns of Dorset Avenue and the Palatine Dance Company.
During the parade marchers with shopping carts will collect food, clothing and disposable paper products for Journeys from PADS to HOPE, an organization serving the homeless and near-homeless in the North and Northwest suburbs.
A wide variety of businesses will be celebrating with “Paint the Town Green” activities. Durty Nellie’s will open for breakfast at 9 a.m. and serve Irish food and drink specials. They will also provide Irish music from the Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band from 12:30-2 p.m., the Celtic Duo Shishonnah, 2-3 p.m. The after party begins at 3 p.m. with the music of Screw City Saints. Entertainment continues throughout the afternoon and evening, finishing with Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press from 10:30 p.m.-closing.
Emmett’s will serve Kegs N Eggs from 9-11:30 a.m. and traditional Irish foods and entertainment during the day. Bauer’s Brauhaus will also feature Irish food and drink specials as well as live entertainment. All throughout the day, an Irish Princess and Leprechaun, the parade grand marshals, will tour downtown businesses.
Paint the Town Green is made possible through the time and financial support of local companies includes: Durty Nellie’s; City Beverage; ElizEvents; Dr. Gerry Aylward of Chicagoland 4 Braces; Northrop Grumman; Bauer’s Brauhaus; McNulty Irish Dancers and Palatine Bank & Trust. For more on Paint the Town Green and the day’s events, visit stpatspalatine.com or email info@stpatspalatine.com.