St. Charles St. Patrick's parade is known for its Irish flavor
It's time to shed the winter blues and start thinking about Kelly green. The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 7.
Former Chicago Bulls center Bill Wennington is the grand marshal for this year's event, which is being produced once again by the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. Wennington begins his sixth season as the Bulls' color commentator for all the team's radio broadcasts on ESPN Radio 1000. After the parade, he will be signing autographs and greeting patrons at Real Time Sports Bar Entertainment and Grill.
Real Time is the parade's lead sponsor with Shamus Connelly, whose family co-owns the St. Charles pub and its original location in Elk Grove Village which are both part of the Suparossa Restaurant Group. Connelly said that when he learned the St. Patrick's Day parade was a flagship event for the community, he knew he wanted to be involved.
"Since we just opened here last September, we want to let St. Charles residents know we support the community, as well as where we are and invite them in for a visit." Connelly's association with St. Patrick's Day parade is fitting - his parents emigrated here from Ireland before Shamus was born, so he is a proud first-generation citizen. "We're very family-oriented, we love to have kids here so along with the sports bar-type activities, we have menus and games and such geared toward families, too."
More than 40 parade entries are registered so far, including bagpipers and other musicians and bands, a dozen Corvettes, the Weinermobile courtesy of St. Patrick Catholic School, Chicago radio station personalities, local businesses, media, and adult and youth organizations such as Scouts and Lazarus House, and plenty of festively decorated floats.
If your business or group wants to sponsor or participate in the parade, there's still time - contact Debbie Treutler at St. Charles Chamber, (630) 584-8384. Sponsorships are available from $250 to $2,500.
Beginning at 1 p.m., free shuttles to the parade, courtesy of Spare Wheels, will be available from the Real Time Sports Bar parking lot at 584 S. Randall Road (site of the former Bud's bar/restaurant). After the parade, the shuttles will bring parade-goers back to Real Time to meet Wennington, and enjoy an Irish buffet, potables and live music.
In conjunction with the parade, Learning Express Toys is sponsoring the second Annual St. Patrick's Day Coloring Contest for children, age 3-12. The picture/entry form can be picked up at Learning Express, 3865 E. Main St.; the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. 6th Ave.; the St. Charles Chamber, 3755 E. Main St.; or downloaded from the chamber's Web site at www.stcharleschamber.com under "Events."
Entry deadline is Sunday, Feb. 22. One winner from each age category will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 26 via the chamber Web site and will be on display in the window of the St. Charles Municipal Center the week of the parade. The winning artists will be invited to ride on the St. Charles Chamber parade; and will be presented with an award certificate at a city hall meeting.
Parade-goers will want to come downtown early to enjoy what promises to be a lively and exciting performance of Irish dance at the Arcada Theatre, presented by five local troupes: Copeland Dance, McNulty Irish Dancers, St. Charles School of Dance, 3rd Street Dance and Underground Arts Connection Performance. Admission is $1. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the performance begins at 11:15 a.m. at the Arcada, 105 E. Main St. For information, call the Arcada Theatre, (630) 587-8400 or the chamber office.