People around the world are once again preparing to deck themselves out in green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Madison is no exception — the eighth annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on the Capitol Square this Sunday, along with various celebratory events and activities.
George Twigg, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said Sunday will be a day of celebration for the city, especially the Irish-American community in Madison.
“It’s these kinds of events that make Madison a fun place to live, and the mayor enjoys taking part and greeting [the people of Madison],” Twigg said.
Former University of Wisconsin student Katie O’Phelan of St. Paul, Minn. started the annual parade in 1998, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
Verveer said he is impressed the parade was created “single-handedly” by a UW freshman out of her lakeshore dorm.
“She was horrified that there wasn’t a parade when she got here, so she created one herself,” Verveer said. “I find it amazing that a freshman created this tradition, which [has grown so big] that they had to move it from Library Mall to Capitol Square.”
The parade will start at the intersection of North Pinckney Street and East Mifflin Street, continue counter-clockwise around the Capitol building and empty into East Washington Avenue.
The march is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be led by Michael Feldman, the 2005 Grand Marshall and host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s radio call-in quiz show “Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know?”
“He was very flattered to be asked to be the Grand Marshall,” Feldman spokesperson Judith Kovalic said.
This will be the eighth year of the parade, according to Ruth Ellickson, head of the Acts and Entertainment Committee.
“In our tenth year, we hope to have [O’Phelan] back as Grand Marshall,” Ellickson said. “It’s a really fun volunteer effort.”
Volunteers and participants are welcome to contribute their efforts and people of Irish heritage are strongly encouraged to participate in the parade in honor of ancestral roots.
“We encourage family units to walk in the parade holding signs of their family name. They can [even] register the day of,” Ellickson added.
One of the highlights of the annual event is the entertainment of the Madison Krewe, a diverse group of Madisonians that has attended Mardi Gras for the past eight years in order to collect beads to throw into the crowd from a float each year in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Other St. Patrick’s Day events prior to the parade include a St. Patrick’s Catholic Mass at St. Patrick’s Church, the second annual Shamrock Shuffle, a five-kilometer race, the State Capitol Flag of Ireland Ceremony and various contests for people of all ages.
This year, all of the parade’s proceeds will be donated to UW’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
