West Suburban Irish celebrates the 30th anniversary of Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade
The Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade returns for its 30th year of celebrating Irish heritage and culture on Saturday, March 11.
West Suburban Irish's annual parade, which started in 1993, will march down the streets of Naperville beginning at 10 a.m.
The event will once again delight spectators from across the western suburbs with a mix of floats, marching bands, entertainers and St. Patrick himself.
Longtime Naperville resident and annual parade participant John Drohan will lead the parade festivities as this year's grand marshal.
This year, they are celebrating "New Beginnings" with the joys of spring on the horizon, a new president of WSI, and a new downtown location and date for the annual Irish Fest (Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22-23 in Naperville's Central Park).
"We are so excited to celebrate new beginnings with the Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade this year," said Matt Jones, president of The West Suburban Irish. "It's one of Naperville's signature events and we're excited to host it for the 30th year in downtown Naperville"
WSI's St. Patrick's Day Parade is a family event, attracting over 3,000 participants and 15,000 spectators to downtown Naperville.
The parade staging area will again be held at the Naperville North High School south parking lot before launching at 10 a.m. on Mill Street and Ogden Avenue toward downtown Naperville. It will continue south on Mill turning east on Jefferson before turning south on Main Street and ending at Water Street. For details on the parade, visit www.WSIrish.org.
In addition to the annual Irish Fest in the fall, the social and philanthropic organization continues with Irish-themed events throughout the year.
On Wednesday, March 15, enjoy a casual gathering of musicians playing traditional Irish music on their traditional Irish instruments. You'll hear live reels, hornpipes, slip jigs and all your favorite trad Irish tunes at 7:30 p.m. at Quigley's Irish Pub, 43 E. Jefferson St. in downtown Naperville. Irish Sessions are offered on the third Wednesday of the month. The monthly Quiz Night returns from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at Quigley's Irish Pub. Follow facebook.com/West.Suburban.Irish.