March 16, 2013: Brookside St Pat’s Warm Up Parade

It’s almost here…the 33rd Annual Brookside St Patrick’s Day Warm-Up Parade! The date is Saturday March 16, starting at 2:00pm. Here’s the route:
Starting at 65th and Wornall, the parade marches north on Wornall, turns east on 63rd St, turns south on Main, turns west on Meyer to end along Brookside Road.
This is a fun, family event with local shops, churches, organizations and schools participating. Viewers sit on the street curbs or brings chairs to the sidewalks–it’s easy to get close to the action and watch all the colorful floats and crazy cars going by. It usually lasts a good two hours from start to finish.

And if you’ve ever wondered how the parade got started…it was way back in the 1970s when patrons of Hogerty’s Tavern went out into the streets for an impromptu parade around the shopping district. In 1981, the parade became official, capitalizing on the popular downtown St Pat’s parade. The ‘warm up’ designation made Brookside the official kick off party to the City’s celebration. In the beginning, it was a pretty small affair, with mostly kids and school groups participating. Gradually it grew, attracted media coverage and a Grand Marshall was named to lead the festivities. Thousands turn out to see this event, especially if the weather cooperates, and it’s the second largest event for Brookside, behind the annual Art Fair.

Even if you don’t live in Brookside, this is a great day to visit the area. Bring the kids, a couple of chairs and enjoy the afternoon with us on March 16!