The City of Gaithersburg, in partnership with the Harp and Shamrock Society of Gaithersburg and the Peterson Companies at Washingtonian Center, will host the 11th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade
CITY ANNOUNCES IN PRESS RELEASE 2/4/11: Dozens of units will march in the parade, including Celtic dancers, bagpipe bands, clowns, fire trucks, and more. When the parade is over there will be live music by the Martin Family Band and family activities in the plaza area until 1 p.m.
The Grand Marshals for this year’s parade are both Irish-American authors – nationally acclaimed Alice McDermott and local author and musician Danny Costello. McDermott is one of the most highly regarded writers in modern literature. “That Night” (1987) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. “At Weddings and Wakes” (1992) became a New York Times bestseller. McDermott received the National Book Award for her fourth novel, “Charming Billy” (1998). Danny Costello is a second generation Irish-American. His first novel, “The Rag Tree – A Novel of Ireland” was 20 years in the making, with 40 visits to Ireland beginning in 1978. Costello has been a part of Washington, DC’s vibrant Irish music scene for 30 years.
