St. Patrick's Day Parade Is a 'Go' Saturday in Alexandria

The show must go on — in this case, the 34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade — in Old Town Alexandria, despite a snowstorm that dumped more than a half foot of snow across some parts of Northern Virginia Thursday.

“The Parade is GO for Saturday! Thank you to all the members of @AlexandriaVAGov and @AlexandriaVAPD for getting the city in shape for us!” was the message sent out Friday afternoon by parade organziers The Ballyshaners, Inc. Here’s all the scoop straight from the Ballyshaners:

The Ballyshaners 34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held in Alexandria on Saturday, March 7, and will feature a Car and Dog Show prior to the Parade kick-off. The Parade will feature more than a dozen marching bands, and other groups celebrating their rich Irish heritage.

The Parade is led by an honor guard representing all the armed services, as a show of patriotism to the United States. The theme of this year’s Parade is “Women of Irish Heritage,” and fittingly, the Parade Grand Marshal is Laureen O’Neill-James, owner of the O’Neill-James School of Dance, and member of the Irish Cultural Hall of Fame.

As part of the Parade festivities, the day’s events include a Classic Car Show, located on Pitt St. between King and Cameron Streets. The cars are on display at 9 a.m., with judging to begin at 10 a.m. Immediately following the judging, the winning entries join the parade line-up for all to enjoy. The “Fun Dog Show” will be held in Market Square beginning at 11 a.m. The dog show is an annual favorite, this year, benefitting the Alexandria Animal Welfare League. Local pet owners are encouraged to dress their dogs in Irish finery, and help lead the parade.

All events on Saturday are free to the public. The parade will officially start at the corner of King Street and Alfred Street at 12:30 p.m. and proceed east on King Street, finishing at the corner of King and Lee streets.

With thousands of spectators and participants expected, parade-goers are encouraged to take advantage of public transportation. The closest Metro is the Blue Line at King Street in Old Town. There is a free trolley from the Metro, or the activities can be reached by a short 10-minute walk down King Street.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is organized by the Ballyshaners, (Gaelic for “Old Towner’s”). The Ballyshaners is a not-for-profit group that seeks to promote and preserve the rich Irish heritage through organization of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Alexandria, and the Ballyshaners Festival, held every summer.