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2010 Houston Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Saturday, March 13th 2010 at 12 noon
WHAT: A
Houston tradition, the 51stannual Houston St. Patrick's Day Parade will be
presented by the Houston St. Patrick's Parade Commission. The two-hour event has
historically been one of the largest parades of its kind in the U.S. and plans
to include 127 entries to delight the Irish and Irish-at-heart.
WHEN:
The St. Patrick's Parade is slated for Saturday, March 14th, 2010 at 12PM.
WHERE: The
parade starts and ends at Minute Maid Park at the intersection of Texas
and Hamilton in downtown Houston.
COST: Free
to the public
HISTORY:
Houston's St. Patrick's Day Parade is rooted firmly in the city's heritage. The
first parades date back to the 1880's when the parade started in "Irish Town" by
old St. Patrick's Church, which was located on Harrisburg. Flags, bands and
marchers would march to Market Square for a day of fun, games, music, food and
drink.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sean Kearns, Parade Chairman, (832) 978-4192,
[email protected]
for more info
www.hsppc.org
The 3rd week in
March each year our little town of Erin swells with Irish Pride hosting 15,000
visitors to our area. The Wearing of the Green Celebration on Saturday
is preceded by a week of events including a Golf Tournament, Pageants for all
ages, Bass Tournament, musical shows, a theater production, luncheons, Chocolate
Baking contest, banquets and auctions. The Kick-Off Breakfast starts the
festivities the Friday of the week prior and the revealing of our Lord High
Mayor and Emerald Award Winners for the current year are announced. These are
the most prestigious honors given in our fair city. With the anticipated
arrival of the carnival, the week is filled with a buzz of excitement.
We welcome you to Erin
this March 14th for our 50th Annual Wearing of the Green
Celebration. Come early have breakfast at the Presbyterian Church, watch the
Leprechaun Parade followed by the Grand Parade, then stroll through the many
vendor and exhibit booths, and enjoy a plethora of tantalizing food options.
There will be entertainment and interactive things for the young and old.
Our parade and festivities
are organized by volunteers and sponsored by the Houston County Area Chamber of
Commerce, Recreation Club, Houston County Lions Club and the Erin Rotary.
St. Patrick's Day Parade Slated for Saturday, March 13th at
12 noon. The 2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 13,
2010. The 51st Annual Parade starts at 12:00 pm in Downtown Houston.
Always a free event, the two-hour parade has historically been one of the
largest in the U.S. and plans to include over 100 entries to delight the
Irish and Irish-at-heart.
"The St. Patrick's Day Parade gives everyone a chance to be Irish," said Pat
Duane. "It's one day when the sounds, sights and celebration transcend
all nationalities and people come together to celebrate the spirit of the
Irish."
The Houston St. Patrick's Day Parade Commission presents the
parade. The St. Patrick's Day Parade-A Houston Tradition
Houston's St. Patrick's Day Parade is rooted firmly in the city's
heritage. The first parades date back to the 1880's when the parade (always
on St. Patrick's Day) started in "Irish Town" by old St. Patrick's Church,
which was located on Harrisburg. Flags, bands and marchers would march to
Market Square for a day of fun, games, music, food and drink. The people
spilled in and out of the various pubs in Market Square. At an earlier time,
Dick Dowling, the Civil War hero, had a bar named the "Bank of Bacchus" at
the edge of the square. It was a favorite gathering place.
The parade continued until World War I, when the Irish scattered all over
the growing city. The Depression and World War II took priority in the
people's lives and the parade disappeared. However, interest in the Irish
and their happy ways were awakened when Houston oilman, Glen McCarthy, built
the Shamrock Hotel in the late 1840's. The Shamrock was the center of Irish
culture throughout the 1850's and the Irish were associated the good times
again.
In 1960, radio personalities, Tim Nolan and Bob Bryant announced a St.
Patrick's Day Parade for Downtown Houston on March 17th. This little parade
was only a few blocks long, but it was the beginning seeds of the current
St. Patrick's Day Parade. It has grown into one of the city's largest
parades. It was always carried the theme that "Everyone is Irish-If only for
the Day". It was a day for all to celebrate the fact that we are all
Americans.
Of course the Parade had to have an organization behind it, so
Channel 2 turned it over to a small group of Irishmen called the
Ancient Order of Hibernians. The parade blossomed in the early
years but it was a financial hardship on the AOH. In the 1970's
when Dr. Edward Kearns became Parade Chairman, he went to Michael Griffin,
owner of the famous Grif's Inn to form a group to finance the parade.
That was the beginning of the "Original 45", a group of businessmen and
interested citizens, who got up the financial backing for the parade. Under
the "Original 45", the Houston St. Patrick's Day Parade grew into the 4th
largest parade of its kind in the nation.
In the late 1980's, the parade needed more financing . Silver Eagle
Distributing Company came to its rescue and the Parade was moved to Richmond
Avenue. The Parade never quite found its home on Richmond because its heart
was always in Downtown Houston.
In the year 2000, the parade returned to home. Once again, the
responsibility for financing fell on a revised version of the
"Original 45", currently named the "Irish 100".
The current Parade Chairman is Mr. Pat Duane. Other key members of the
Parade Commission are Sean Kearns, Assistant Parade Chairman and Lead Parade
Marshal, Michael Griffin, Head of the Executive Committee and Jeannie
Kearns, Parade Treasurer, Jennifer Kearns, Judging Coordinator, Mary Kearns,
Parade Coordinator, Cathy Milkie, Volunteer Chairperson.
Throughout the 45-year history of the parade, a handful of people have run
the parade with the high standard that the parade is a showcase of Irish fun
and Culture of the whole family.
All aspects of Houston's diverse population have been represented as Grand
Marshal. Movie personalities, Dennie O'Keefe and Dennis Day were among the
first to serve as Grand Marshal. Astronauts Robert Crippen and Brian Duffey
represented NASA, as well as George Abbey, Director of NASA and Gerald
Griffin, former NASA director.
Other Grand Marshals include football greats, Dan Pastorini, Jim
Kelley, and Coach Kevin Gilbride, business leaders, Jim McIngvale and Glen
McCarthy, Jr., local politicians, Johnnie Goyen and Mayor Jim McConn, Dr.
Denton Cooley, Dr. Joseph McFadden, former president of St. Thomas
University.
Also the St. Patrick's Parade has honored local Irishmen such as:
Burke O'Rourke, Pat Patton, Jim McNamara, Larry and Kathleen Miggins, Tom
Horan and Dr. Edward Kearns and his wife, Jeannie Kearns.
Mrs. Kearns was the first woman to become Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick's
Day Parade.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade Commission is proud to have Project St. Brendan
and the "International Space School" as our local charities. The Houston St.
Patrick's Parade Commission is dedicated to restoring the Houston parade
back to its original glory.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRE-PARADE CONTACT: Jeanie Kearns
713-365-9648
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