Organizers seek parade group participants

HUNTSVILLE – Here is another positive sign things are moving back to normal from the COVID pandemic. The 45th Annual Ellen McAnelly Memorial St. Patrick’s Day Parade is returning after being canceled for the past two years. It has been set for Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. and will be held in downtown Huntsville. The community event, organized by the Irish Society of North Alabama, will be taking place for the first time since 2019.

Organizers say they need help in bringing the parade back to its former glory. They are currently looking for groups to join in the fun. The parade, presented by Straight to Ale Brewing, welcomes a variety of groups of all sizes such as clubs, families, organizations, businesses and sports teams.

“We are so excited for the return of this community family event” said Anya Douglas, current President of the Irish Society of North Alabama.  “The 2020 parade is remembered for those of us organizing the event as the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic because that parade was canceled a day before it was supposed to take place on March 14, 2020. The world has changed a lot in two years, and we are happy to bring the 2022 parade as a way to signify that we are ready to bring the community together again.”

The parade route will begin at Lot K on the corner of Woodson and Holmes and go through downtown Huntsville. The parade briefly will stop at St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church on Jefferson Street for the annual blessing of the parade and Irish and American flags. The parade will head south on Washington Street through Eastside Square and  north on Church Street past the Huntsville Museum of Art and between West and East Big Spring Park.

The official parade after-party takes place at Straight to Ale Brewing at Campus 805. This family friendly event includes live music, games, drink and food specials.

“We are very thankful for the Huntsville community and all of the support from the City of Huntsville, our sponsors, volunteers and participants to bring what is known as a fun filled parade back in honor of the Irish and all they have done and continue to do for the community! Everybody is Irish for St. Patrick’s Day!” added Anya Douglas

The parade is named after the parade’s founder, Ellen McAnelly, who died in 2009. She opened Finnegan’s Pub in 1977 and held the first parade in 1978 near Finnegan’s and around the Parkway. It was known as the smallest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States, with only 18 people participating. The parade was held in Madison in 1997 and moved to downtown Huntsville in 1998 and after.

The 2020 parade was canceled a day before the parade, being one of the first public events in the area that was canceled due to the COVID-19 virus. There was a much smaller “march” around Straight to Ale Brewing in 2020 and 2021 and therefore considered a parade, making 2022 the 45th consecutive parade. The parade is family friendly and for the entire community.

Groups, businesses, organizations and families that are interested in either being part of the parade or a parade sponsor can contact Lisa Bollinger at (256) 468-5612 or visit IrishSocietyNA.org/parade.php for more information. The parade’s Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/HSVStPats