Pre-Parade Fundraiser Is Feb. 3 At 115 Bourbon Street

MERRIONETTE PARK, IL - The South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade pre-parade fundraiser will be held at 115 Bourbon Street on Saturday, Feb. 3, when the 2018 South Side Irish Parade Queen selection will be announced.

Admission ($30 when pre-purchased or $35 at the door), raffle prizes and a silent auction at the event will help raise money for the 2018 South Side Irish Parade, which will be held on Sunday, March 11 this year. The Larkin and Moran Brothers and the Avondale Ramblers will headline entertainment at the party from 6-11 p.m. at 3359 W. 115th St. in Merrionette Park. Traditional Irish music sessions will also be held in another room.

“Proceeds from the evening will help support the parade and keep it marching for another 40 years,” said Ed Haggerty, co-chair of the South Side Irish Parade Committee, noting that this will be the 40th year of Parade festivities.

The young woman who is selected as the South Side Irish Parade Queen will be "prominently featured" in the parade and will also ride in the downtown Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. Applications remain open to women of Irish descent between the ages of 18 and 27 and can be found on the Chicago Rose of Tralee website.

Patch file photo / Tim Moran