The Wearin' of the Green in Stamford

Come out and be Irish for the day on Saturday when the 20th Anniversary St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be awash in green as the wends itself through downtown Stamford.

The parade honors the patron saint of Ireland and all things Irish-American. Growing from its inaugural parade with a dozen marching groups, this year the parade will offer nearly 80 marching units, bagpipe bands and floats. Favorites will include the Celtic Cross Pipe Band, the Greenwich Pipe Band, and the popular Shriners mini T-Bird cars. Several Stamford school bands also will be participating.

The parade kicks off at noon March 7 on Main Street and proceed to Atlantic Street and then Bedford Street to Latham Park.

For the first time, the parade will include a Family Zone in front of Veterans Memorial Park, offering children’s activities including face painting and entertaining clowns. Also, during and after the parade, local restaurants will be offering special food, drinks and Irish-themed vittles and grog to celebrate.

The 20th Anniversary St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshals will be Bill and Evon Malloy, community activists, who will be feted at the Grand Marshals dinner on Friday, March 6 at the Stamford Sheraton Hotel. A portion of the parade weekend fundraising will go to the Malloy’s charity of choice, CT Renaissance, which has an outpatient facility in Stamford.

For more details, call 203-614-9448 or log onto www.stamfordstpatricksdayparade.org.

Photo: the 2014 Stamford parade. Credits: www.stamfordstpatricksdayparade.org