New York. Boston. Chicago. (They go so far as to turn their river green.) These are the big guns of the St. Patrick’s Day parade. But, to be frank, what do those guys know about parades? After all, we have that little thing called Mardi Gras.
And for those hankering for just one more day to drink at any hour without it being inappropriate, look no further than St. Patrick’s Day – New Orleans style. And if you need multiple days of liver abuse, the St. Patrick’s Day spirits will flow throughout the weekend (and then some).
First celebrated in the now-ubiquitous parade format in 1809, New Orleans’ St. Patrick’s Day parades roll across the city – from the suburbs of Metairie to the Faubourg Marigny and, of course, the Irish Channel.
The Irish Channel neighborhood, now a part of the Garden District, offered cheap housing for Irish immigrants throughout the 1800s. Seeking refuge from a famine-torn Ireland, immigrants stuck around New Orleans, which was often the last port-of-call for many ocean liners.
In need of work, many Irish immigrants were hired to dig the New Basin Canal, with thousands dying during its construction.
But the massive workforce of a growing Irish population soon shifted the city’s racial makeup. Irish-Americans dominated not only the labor force but also the police, banking industries (including Hibernia National Bank, purchased by Capital One in 2005) and a booming Irish-Catholic community. In fact, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built expressly for the people demanding a service in English rather than Latin or French.
Today’s parades now are just a small part of the city’s large St. Patrick’s Day party. So keep an eye out for the pot of gold. And I’m not talking about rainbows and leprechauns.
THE PARADES
The weekend-long parades leading up to St. Patrick’s Day kick off with French Quarter favorite Jim Monaghan’s 26th Annual Irish Parade, starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 14 in front of Molly’s at the Market at 1107 Decatur St. According to the parade’s press release, it will feature horse-drawn carriages and green-clad riders tossing beads and Irish-themed trinkets. Marching bands the Storyville Stompers and the Kazoozie Floozies will take the lead.
The parade will roll down Decatur Street to Iberville Street and continue to Burgundy, Dauphine, Conti, Bourbon, and Gov. Nicholls Streets, ending in front of Molly’s, where the real party begins.
Saturday, March 15, the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade, hosted by the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club, will celebrate its 59-year run with its annual 1,400-member march.
Founded in 1947, the Irish-New Orleanian group hosts fundraising events for the Special Olympics and also supports the Crohn’s Benefit Golf Tournament for Crohn’s Research, as well as the Chefs’ Charity for St. Michael’s Special School in New Orleans.
Starting at Magazine Street, the parade circles from Jackson to St. Charles avenues, turning at Louisiana Avenue to Magazine and finishing at Jackson.
The Downtown Irish Club Parade in the Marigny and French Quarter concludes the city’s parade weekend Sunday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. The parade begins on the corner of Burgundy and Piety streets, continues down Royal Street, crosses Esplanade Avenue to Decatur Street and continues to Bienville Street as it makes its way to Bourbon Street at Orleans Avenue.
But it’s not quite over yet. The Irish-Italian Parade, founded by the late Eddie Renton in 1983, celebrates both cultures. It rolls Sunday., March 30 at noon in Metairie.
This year’s grand marshals, Dan Kelly and Sal Gambino, lead the parade from Clearview Shopping Center down Veterans Boulevard and continue to Severn Avenue and the 17th Street Canal, where it turns back to Severn and finishes down Martin Behrman Avenue.
Those marching in the parade – dressed in full tuxedo – are known to hand flowers to lucky parade-goers, so look sharp. But look out for flying beads – and vegetables.
Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].
