Seattle St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Irish Festival

Irish eyes are smilin’ in Seattle, with preparations and festivities under way for Seattle’s annual Irish Festival.

Kicking off the weekend is Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  The parade starts at 4th & Jefferson (map) and meanders through the city streets,with a reviewing stand at Westlake Park (map) ending at the Seattle Center.  Individuals or small groups are free to join in the parade, no pre-registration required, just link up behind the county or province where you think you ancestors may have come from.  And if your not Irish by birth, don’t let that stop you from participating – queue up behind the Provincial Banner of your choice and join in the celebration.  Those who can’t walk the parade distance are welcome to ride in the Seniors Shamrock Shuttle.  The Grand Marshal for the parade will be the Right Honorable Desmond Guinness, the great, great, great, great grandson of the founder of the Guinness Brewery, who is making his first visit to the Seattle area.

After watching the parade, head down to the Seattle Center for the continuing festivities at the Irish Festival.  The monorail will be FREE between 1:30-2:30 pm, so no need drive or worry about parking.

The Irish Festival will be at the at the Center House (map), and will include Irish music, singing, dancing, workshops, lectures, cultural displays, and booths selling Irish and Celtic products.  There are plenty of family activities, including some special contests just for the kids:  the Smilingest Irish Eyes Contest and the Most Irish-Looking Face Contest.  The popular Irish Stepdancers, composed of members from around the Pacific Northwest, will also perform and the Irish Reels Film Festival will feature contemporary Irish short films.

The weekend long festivities are sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club of Seattle, a non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization that organizes and promotes activities of an Irish cultural nature.  Membership is open to anyone interested in “Things Irish” and are priced at $20/year for a single membership or $30/year for a family membership.

Parade Date & Time:  Parade starts Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 12:30 pm and end with closing ceremonies at the Seattle Center at 2 pm.

Irish Festival Dates & Times:  Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14th, 2010, noon-6 pm daily; and on St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17th, 2010, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.

Admission:  FREE

Photo credit: morgueFile