Copious amounts of green beer, bead throwing and Irish jigs embodied the 22nd annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in North Little Rock that took place on Saturday, March 11.
The Parade was coordinated by the Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas as a fun, free and family-oriented community service event for the residents of central Arkansas and is intended to celebrate cultural diversity.
Founded in 1996, the Society provides programs demonstrating aspects of the culture of Ireland for the education of Arkansans, many of whom have ancestors from one of the seven Celtic nations; Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales and Galicia.
The Grand Marshals of the parade were longtime ICSA members Mike and Gerri Spillane.
“Mike and I are honored to be chosen. We participated in the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Little Rock and have been actively involved in the parade planning and execution through the Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas since its inception many moons ago. We look forward to representing the ICSA in this parade and sharing our love of all things Irish with the people of Arkansas,” Gerri Spillane, secretary of the ICSA said.
To say the presence of the Irish community was felt during the parade would be an understatement, as Sixth and Main street in downtown North Little Rock were lined with people dressed in their very best St. Patrick’s Day green, readily awaiting the beads being tossed from the floats.
Rock Town Distillery’s float led the pack during the parade, featuring numerous leprechauns, balloons and a large flag of Ireland.
Not to be outdone, a firetruck from the North Little Rock Fire Department flaunting some St. Patrick’s Day-themed accessories followed close behind.
The shining star of the parade, however, was undoubtedly the ‘Irish Rover.’ The rover was a 20-foot-long flatbed trailer that had everything. It included a four-person band, a flag from each of the Celtic nations, and of course, a leprechaun.
The parade route began at Sixth and Main in downtown North Little Rock, traveled through the Argenta Arts District, crossed the Arkansas River via the Main Street Bridge, traveled east on President Clinton Ave. through the River Market District, then turned south on River Market Ave. and ended at Third and Cumberland in Little Rock.
Some of the best viewing spots for the parade were the Argenta Arts District, the River Market District and Third Street near Dugan’s Pub.
The entertainment did not come to an end after the floats finished their route, however, as “Dancing at the Crossroads” took place shortly following the parade. This event featured musical performances by marching pipe and drum bands and traditional Irish dance performances by the McCafferty Academy of Irish Dance and the O’Donovan School of Irish Dance.
The ICSA throws the parade on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day every year, in an attempt to publicize the presence of an active Irish community in the Little Rock area.