Hometown Irish Parade Returns In 2026: See Details For The St. Patrick's Day Tradition

PLAINFIELD, IL — Spring is on the horizon, which means the return of Plainfield's Hometown Irish Parade.

The beloved tradition celebrating Irish heritage and St. Patrick's Day will parade through downtown Plainfield on March 15. Step off will occur at 1 p.m. at Plainfield Central High School and wind its way to the center of the village, marching along Commercial, Illinois, Lockport and James streets.

The annual parade, coordinated by the Village Preservation Association and sponsored by John Greene Real Estate, will feature bagpipers, bands, floats, acrobats and local organizations, which will hand out candy and goodies along the way. Lasting about an hour, the parade will take place rain or shine.

The St. Patrick's Day celebration first began when a group of neighbors on Plainfield's East Side decorated a few floats, loaded their children onto them and traversed the block. Within a couple of years, the parade flourished into a village tradition.

Nowadays, nearly 10,000 visitors gather for the parade, organizers said. Besides in 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19, the parade has returned yearly since 2002.

As a nod to the parade's small but mighty roots, a bike rodeo allows children to decorate their bikes and join the parade. Registration for the bike rodeo, in its third year, is open on the Hometown Irish Parade website.

Visitors also have the option to purchase VIP tickets for seats — each is $10 —on bleachers located in the main square at Lockport and Des Plaines streets. Organizers said it's a "great place to catch all the action with unobstructed views."

Before the parade, the Paddy Day Mile race will start at 12:30 p.m. near DNA Plainfield. Runners will have 20 minutes to complete the course. The winner will be featured in the parade.

The 2026 grand marshal has not yet been announced.