St. Patrick’s Day festivities are kicking off this weekend in Naperville with the annual parade hosted by the West Suburban Irish.
This year’s celebration will be the largest one yet, with over 100 entries, according to parade coordinator Rich Janor.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the corner of Mill Street and Ogden Avenue at Naperville North High School. It will then travel through downtown Naperville before ending at Naperville Central High School.
The full parade route is posted on the West Suburban Irish website.
A historic first for the St. Patrick’s Day parade
For the first time in parade history, the honor of Grand Marshal will not be given to an individual but to an organization: Loaves & Fishes Community Services.
The nonprofit, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, works to end hunger in the community by providing food to those in need.
Janor said the organization’s mission to feed the hungry echoes the hardships endured by the Irish during the Great Famine of the 1800s.
“For many Irish families, that experience remains ingrained in them, and the fact that Loaves & Fishes has a mission to end hunger in our own community, we thought it would really resonate well and make them, certainly, a very deserving Grand Marshal,” said Janor.
Remembering parade founder Kevin Dolan
The West Suburban Irish will also honor the memory of parade founder Kevin Dolan, who died in February, by introducing the Kevin Dolan Founder’s Award. The award will be given to the entry that best represents the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day.
“Those in our organization that knew Kevin well, I mean, he was absolutely all about Irish spirit and the parade and the West Suburban Irish. So, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to him and his family,” said Janor.
Dolan founded the organization in 1993 and started the St. Patrick’s Day tradition that has endured for over 30 years.
The West Suburban Irish is a registered nonprofit organization in Naperville, dedicated to cultivating and celebrating Irish heritage through music, arts, sports, and more.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
