Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in St. Charles, East Dundee
We are so ready to play outdoors and watch a parade.
If it wasn't for St. Patrick's Day, people living in towns throughout the country, especially the Fox Valley, would have to wait until May and Memorial Day to line the streets, wave their flags and cheer their marching sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and neighbors.
Thankfully, the season traditionally connected with the patron saint of Ireland speeds us closer to spring and feeds our hunger to get outdoors without our shovels and boots.
On Saturday, groups and businesses in East and West Dundee and St. Charles will provide the much needed seasonal food when they sponsor events to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
We are not talking just corned beef and cabbage either.
Before the food is served, the lights, or fireworks, will go on Friday over the Fox River in East and West Dundee. The rockets will be lighted from the footbridge at 7:30 p.m.
On the following day, a parade in East Dundee will begin at Rosie O'Hare's Public House at Wenholz Avenue and Water Street. Units will walk south on Water Street to Barrington Avenue and North River Street. It will end at Bandito Barney's tavern.
"We have 78 units signed up to march in the parade," said Eileen McNamee, one of the organizers. "Each year, it seems to get bigger and bigger."
St. Charles's parade will begin that same day at 2 p.m. on Main Street at Sixth Street to Fourth Avenue.
"We have 80 entries that will take part this year," said Jamie Blair, events coordinator for the Downtown St. Charles Partnership. "That's good for such a small parade route. It's even bigger than our Electric Christmas Parade."
The Partnership organizes the parade. It extended its registration deadline because so many people and groups wanted to march.
"This parade has been held for years. People look forward to it because it puts us closer to the warm weather," Blair said.
It also gives residents a chance to be outside with their friends and neighbors who they might not have seen for the past three months.
Information about the St. Charles' parade is at downtownstcharles.org/stpats.
East Dundee's St. Patrick's Day parade was founded by McNamee's brother, Thom, more than a decade ago. He owned both taverns until his 2009 death.
This year's theme is DUbliNDundee. Parade entries will be judged for the Best in Community, Entertainment, Clan, and Business at the grandstand.
For details about East Dundee parade, go to dundeestpats.com.
Celebrating St. Patrick's life with a parade has an even longer tradition in Dundee Township. It started with the owners of Emmett's Tavern in West Dundee hosting a small parade along West Main Street, or Route 72.
Eventually, obtaining permission from state Illinois Department of Transportation to temporarily close the highway for a small parade became increasingly difficult, said Amanda Guttke, Emmett's manager.
Before the parade, Fox Valley residents can watch the Big Wheel Race the West Dundee restaurant sponsors. It will start at noon at Grafelman Park along Route 72. Riders will race down Washington Street to Second Street. Participants must bring their own Big Wheels and helmets.
"We have 100 people signed up to be in the race this year," Guttke said. "We could have as many as from 500 to 600 people watching it."
More information about the race can be found at emmettstavern.com.
St. Patrick's Day parades Saturday
Get your green on in East Dundee or St. Charles Saturday. The Thom McNamee Memorial St. Patrick's Day Parade in East Dundee steps off at 11 a.m. and will march south from Illinois and Water streets, east on Barrington Avenue and then south on River Street, ending at Jackson Street. dundeestpats.com.
In St. Charles, the parade begins at 2 p.m. and runs along Main Street/Route 64, featuring Irish dancers, Irish music and floats. downtownstcharles.org.