Downtowns to go green for St. Patrick's parade

For a few of hours every year, the streets of downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock turn various shades of green as a little piece of the Natural State celebrates the Emerald Isle.

This is the 18th year for the Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas' St. Patrick's Day Parade, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday with grand marshals Anne and Michael Downes, who are longtime Irish Cultural Society members.

"A lot of the people who are involved in the society are immigrants from Ireland," says society vice president and parade co-chairman Eimear Ryan Fuller. "It's a way we can give to a community that is now our home and has given so much to our families."

Part of that is providing fun family entertainment for the people of central Arkansas.

"We like to keep it clean," Fuller says. "It's just really exciting going to the parade and seeing all the kids and the families. I just love sitting back and watching everybody enjoy all the hard work we've put into it."

Fuller explains that the parade committee makes an effort to attend all the local parades they can, looking for ideas and observing the crowds to see how they can appeal to a wide demographic.

And while it's a St. Patrick's Day parade, it's not solely focused on Ireland. Representatives of other cultures and backgrounds are more than welcome to bring their music groups, dance teams and floats out to celebrate.

In addition to marching bands, pipe and drum team and dance troupes, there will be Irish wolfhounds, antique cars and clowns.

Fuller says, "We've got all kinds of stuff that I think would pique a lot of different interests."

The parade starts in front of Dugan's Pub at Third and Rock streets in Little Rock, winds through the River Market District, across the Main Street Bridge, and ends at Sixth and Main streets in North Little Rock.

Fuller advises that the best parade-watching locations are at the beginning and the parade's grandstand, in front of Cregeen's Irish Pub, 301 Main St., North Little Rock, which Fuller calls "a really lively spot." The River Market also provides good, but quieter, viewing.

People are invited to stick around post-parade for Dancing at the Crossroads at the grandstand, where students from the McCafferty School of Irish Dance and the O'Donovan School of Irish Dance will perform.

"That's a real treat if you've never seen Irish dancing in person," Fuller says.

The Argenta Irish Festival, organized by the Argenta Downtown Council, will also follow the parade with children's activities and food trucks in Argenta Plaza, 520 Main St., from 2 to 5 p.m.

For the last few years, the parade has highlighted a local nonprofit agency to raise awareness and money for the organization. This year's nonprofit partner is North Little Rock Police Department Officer Tommy Norman, who has gained national attention for his community policing efforts.

Parade attendees are encouraged to take donations of snack foods (which Norman distributes to neighborhood children) or money for programs such as the Christmas Shop With a Cop.

"It's a little different this year but we're really excited to partner with him," Fuller says. "He's a really great guy. We're hoping we can help him and the North Little Rock community."

Weekend on 03/09/2017