Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade to celebrate 49 years
The luck of the Irish is set to become Henderson residents’ good luck charm March 13 as the 49th annual Sons and Daughters of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival returns to downtown.
“Friday the 13th is not an unlucky day if you’re Irish,” said Dona Brown, marketing director of the organization. “Of course, any day is a lucky one if you’re up and breathing.”
The event is set to run from 5 to 10 p.m. March 13, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 14 and noon to 9 p.m. March 15 at the Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St. Festivities are scheduled to include live music, a carnival, a car show, food and craft vendors, a parade and more.
“Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” Brown said. “We’re very proud of our heritage, and it’s a legitimate day to celebrate our culture.”
The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. March 14 on Water Street from Ocean Avenue to Victory Road and include more than 100 entries. This year’s theme is Love, Loyalty and Friendship, and entries will be judged for best of theme, prettiest, most original and, of course, greenest.
“We love our culture, and we’re very loyal to the city of Henderson,” Brown said. “We want to form friendships with all the residents, as long as they’re wearing green.”
The event attracts 50,000 to 75,000 people each year, with Saturday being the busiest, according to city spokeswoman Nicole Johnson.
“We have people driving in from Utah and Arizona or even tourists from the Strip that hear about the celebration,” Johnson said. “One guy was visiting Las Vegas from Ireland, and he traveled from the Strip just to see what we were up to.”
The city also encourages attendees to post photos of themselves wearing green and enjoying the festivities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #turnwaterstreetgreen.
“It’s a community event,” Johnson said. “It benefits the charities, but it also brings people down to Water Street who may have never been otherwise.”
St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the life of St. Patrick, a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Born in England, the saint was captured at 16 by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland as a slave.
After escaping six years later, he became a cleric and returned to Ireland to preach Christianity. St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17, the date of his death, according to Brown.
“It used to be a very sad, solemn day in Ireland until the Americans said, ‘Let’s just party instead,’ ” she said. “Now, one of the biggest parties in the world is in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day. Thank God for the Americans.”
Brown said the shamrock became associated with St. Patrick after the Irish brought them on the boats to America during the potato famine.
“Many didn’t want to leave Ireland, but they had to because there wasn’t anything to eat,” she said. “After they arrived to America, the best way to celebrate the prosperity they gained was to have a parade in honor of St. Patrick.”
Founded in 1966, the local group was formerly known as the Las Vegas Sons of Erin. It was recently renamed the Southern Nevada Sons and Daughters of Erin after accepting female members.
“The groups were always separate because the men were so chauvinistic,” Brown said. “Then they realized that the women do all the work, so it was smart of them to finally include us.”
The event’s proceeds are set to benefit St. Baldrick’s, a nonprofit that raises funds for childhood cancer research and other local charities.
“We’re already planning a big blow-out celebration next year when we have our 50th annual,” Brown said. “This is our chance to have a good time while raising money for charity and sharing our culture. Everyone is Irish for the weekend.”
For more information, visit snsdoe.com or cityofhenderson.com.
Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.
