ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Downtown Rochester will be full of marching bands, Irish dance groups, and people decked out in green on Saturday. It’s the countdown until the 49th annual Rochester St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and a local Olympic gold medalist is expected to take part.
Who’s taking part in the parade?
Parade organizers are preparing for tens of thousands of people to gather downtown despite the chilly forecast. Kate McBride, a parade committee member, says the parade will feature an all-star lineup. That includes Pittsford’s Chris Lillis, who took home his second straight gold medal in aerial freestyle skiing at the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympics.
“We have Chris Lillis, who is an Olympic gold medalist. He’s going to be in the parade. And also we have Downbeat Percussion, the drum line from the Buffalo Bills, bringing up the rear,” McBride said.
This year’s parade will feature nine bands with pipes and drums and six Irish dance schools. That includes the Rochester Academy of Irish Dance, Shannonside Ceili Dancers, and Goodwin Academy. You can see the lineup here.
Preparing downtown for the parade
Final preparations are underway for the parade, with barriers ready to line East Avenue. Past parades have drawn large crowds, like the 150,000 attendees in 2012 on a 72-degree day.
McBride, who has been involved with the parade for over 20 years, spoke about the dedication of the volunteer team. “We have about 15 people that work on it all year long,” she said.
This year’s theme celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and the Irish spirit that contributed to it. “Expect to see lots of green but lots of red, white, and blue too,” McBride added.
Before the parade begins on Saturday, people can enjoy the painting of the green, Mass at St. Mary’s, and the YMCA’s Running of the Green. You can see a guide to other St. Patrick’s Day events here.
McBride expressed the joy of the event, saying, “It’s just a great day to come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the parade.”
Rochester Police will block traffic along the parade route starting around 11:30 a.m. Volunteers are still needed for the parade, including for holding banners and working at the Celtic Fair at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown. You can sign up here.
Parade route and where to park
The parade begins at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street. From there, the parade continues down East Avenue to the Liberty Pole, turns on Main Street, and ends at the corner of Fitzhugh Street. Here’s the parade map:
Street parking is prohibited on the parade route, but there are plenty of other options. These city garages will be free to park at on parade day: Mortimer Street Garage, Sister Cities Garage, High Falls Garage, Washington Square Garage, South Avenue Garage, Court Street Garage, and East End Garage.
Livestream of the parade
News10NBC will have live coverage of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade starting at noon. We will livestream the parade on our website, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also watch the livestream on the News10+ app, available on Roku and FireTV.
Volunteers gear up for St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set to feature dancers, bands, and local Olympic gold medalist WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about volunteers gear up for st patrick s day parade set to feature dancers bands and local olympic gold medalist was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Volunteers gear up for St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set to feature dancers, bands, and local Olympic gold medalist )
Also on site :