Iowa And Illinois St. Patrick’s Day Parade Kicks Off This Weekend
It’s time for the only bi-state St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the country! And it’s right here in the Quad Cities!
The Grand Parade takes place this Saturday Mar 16. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of 4th Avenue and 23rd Street in Rock Island. It will then wind its way west through downtown Rock Island following 4th Avenue to 20th Street, then to 3rd Avenue to 17th Street and finally to 2nd Avenue to the Centennial Bridge. The parade then crosses the Mississippi River to Gaines Street in Davenport. From there, it will go north to 3rd Street and then east on 3rd to the River Center. A map of the parade route can also be found at http://www.stpatsqc.com/images/ParadeMap.jpg.
After the Grand Parade, the St. Patrick Society of the Quad Cities also sponsors the Post Parade Bash at the RiverCenter/Adler Theater in Davenport. The Bash kicks off at 1pm and entry is membership only. Memberships can be purchased at the door for $15. You do not need to be Irish to join the St. Patrick’s Society. Children 15 and younger need to be accompanied by a paying adult but will be admitted at no charge. The Post Parade Bash will feature the presentation of parade trophy winners, food, drink, memorabilia, and 50/50 raffle, and Irish music and dancers! You can find more information regarding the Bash at https://www.stpatsqc.com/PostParadeBash.html.
The St. Patrick Society of the Quad Cities was founded in 1985 through the vision of a few Irish dreamers, namely Jeffrey Charles Collins, Francis Joseph Coyle Jr., Jerald Matt McCabe, Thomas Joseph McGinn, Daniel Patrick Reardon and Dennis Michael Walsh, with a desire to preserve, express, and promote their Irish heritage. The Society contributes to many charities, awards scholarships, and promotes various Irish cultural and musical events that occur throughout the year in the Quad City Area. Make sure to check out their Facebook page to keep up with events and activities: https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickSocietyOfTheQuadCities/.
Once again, the St. Patrick Society and River Bend Foodbank are joining forces to fight hunger in the Quad Cities. River Bend will be marching ahead of the Grand Parade on Saturday, collecting monetary donations with the goal of closing the meal gap in our community. Watch for the River Bend Foodbank truck to make your donation!
This is not a celebration to be missed!
