On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish.
Celebrate the holiday with the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 17.
The parade starts at 17th Street and Stone Avenue and makes its way through Downtown Tucson before ending at Armory Park on Sixth Avenue.
The main viewing area is on Sixth Avenue between Armory Park and the Children’s Museum Tucson. The route is similar to other parades in Tucson, like Veterans Day, the holidays and LGBT Pride. The grand marshal is Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy.
Before the parade, the Southern Arizona Roadrunners will host a 5K and 1-mile run/walk along the parade route.
The parade — which generally has between 25 and 30 entries — features a range of local entries, including bagpipe groups, a Jeep club, dog groups, a cycling group, Boy Scout troops, dignitaries, floats, military groups, social and cultural groups and local businesses.
Two traditional Irish dance groups, Tucson Celtic Steps of Arizona and the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance, will participate in the parade and perform at the festival. The festival will also feature Americana artist Nancy McCallion and Celtic rock/Americana/soul group the Big Fellahs.
At the beginning of the festival, a bagpipe group will perform.
Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival Inc. is the nonprofit behind the event. A committee of volunteers spend about six months working on the event.
Board President John Murphy has been involved with festival and parade for over 30 years.
The event started in 1987 in South Tucson. John said the parade and festival are held annually, except for the height of COVID-19, and last year due to financial difficulties.
“We are itching to come back and put on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival for the town that we love… We really like putting on a parade and an event for this town. Everyone on this board loves Tucson and loves giving something back to the community,” John said.
He said that he and other committee members are proud of their Irish heritage and want to share it with others.
“It’s the sharing of Irish culture and Irish music that is a prime motivating force for us. I would say a very close number two is wanting to do something for the Tucson community,” John said.
“First of all, everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, and everybody’s welcome,” John said. “We love to see them…There are some people I see every year on St. Patrick’s Day… We get plenty of full families coming, mom, dad, kids, grandma.”
One couple met and had a wedding ceremony at the festival, complete with a bagpipe player and committee members as witnesses.
John said it is important to give attendees an authentic experience with no green beer and authentic Irish dancing and music. For adults, there will be Irish beer options such as Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s.
At the festival, Tucson restaurants will serve corned beef and cabbage and fish and chips. That local tie is important.
“We’re a Tucson event, whether we use Tucson vendors, Tucson food proprietors or anything. We make it an all-Tucson event,” John said.
Nonprofits and vendors will offer services to festival goers.
John said the event was designed for people of different ages.
“This is a family event with a children’s area. It is not a stereotypical St. Patrick’s Day drunk fest,” John said.
For children, the festival will have inflatables and face painting. Each year, the nonprofit organization gives back to a local organization. This year’s beneficiary will be the Tucson Fire Fighter Charities.
Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade
WHEN: Parade kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 17
WHERE: 17th Street and Stone Avenue to Armory Park, 220 S. Sixth Avenue
Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Festival
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17
WHERE: Armory Park, 220 S. Sixth Avenue
PRICE: Free admission, additional costs for children’s activities and food and beverages
INFO: www.tucsonstpatricksday.com
