Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2007
As St. Patrick’s Day Parades go in the Kansas City region, this is the big one.
Click HERE for the 2008 Kansas City St Patrick’s Day Parade.
The 34th Annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on St Patrick’s Day itself, Saturday, March 17th, 2007.
And as usual it takes place in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
See the full list of events for St Patrick’s Day in Kansas City
The parade starts at 11:00 am and follows the same route as the last couple of years, which is basically north on Grand from Pershing to Truman.
Last year saw the introduction of giant inflatables, most notably Saint Patrick himself who floated along Grand pirouetting and limboing through junctions; and an enormous Leprechaun who looked like he was doing something in his pants while wielding a bent frankfurter. Well, these “Macy’s style” giant balloons are back for this year’s parade.
The parade has a theme every year, or at least since 1989, and for 2007 the theme is “Celebrating St. Patrick in Kansas City”, which kind of makes you wonder what the previous thirty-three parades were celebrating. As a non-theme theme, it’s practically the polar opposite of last year’s homage to a local boy making good in “Irish Tribute to Walt Disney”.
The chief eye candy this year, or Grand Marshal if you prefer, is Danny O’Neill, President and Owner of KC’s The Roasterie. O’Neill is described as a long-time friend, supporter, volunteer and sponsor of the Parade. Check out The Roasterie here
For anyone concerned about violence at the parade, please bear in mind that last year’s reports by the KC Star in particular with its heading of “The Marring of the Green” was very misrepresentative of an event at which there were no alcohol related arrests.
A couple of things to bear in mind when going to the parade. There is still a lot of construction Downtown so you might need to think a bit more about your route there and back. This is especially important with whole parade route again being lined with barricades this year.
The barricades are great. They mean your space doesn’t get usurped by somebody coming later and standing in front of you, they stop people stepping out and getting hit by passing police motorcycles or giant inflatable Saints, and they have messages on them, commercial and personal. Something to read while you wait for the parade to start.
But the barricades also mean that crossing the Parade route in either direction, in your car or even walking, will be next to impossible. Last year when I needed to cross from the west to the east I used the Link from Union Station. This was much quicker than taking the advice of a very unhelpful policeman who was heard to mutter under his breath things not overly complimentary about ‘the Irish’.
I’d say go early to the parade, but let’s be honest, you’re not only American, you’re from the Midwest; you’re going to go early regardless.
Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade “truly is meant to be a celebration of Ireland, and our Irish heritage” which is why it largely resembles a traffic jam. Being on a weekend this year will make for a bigger crowd than usual, and again I imagine we will hear that Kansas City is the third or fourth largest parade in the US.
If that is true then it needs to be smaller. Neighborhood parades in the US are great things, and the KC St Patrick’s Day Parade sometimes comes across as a neighbourhood parade on a city scale. What does that mean. It means half the population agrees to walk and the other half agrees to watch, and then everybody waves at each other. Because they know each other. Hey look there’s Marjorie! Is that your son?
In recent years the parade committee have done a good job of upping the standard of floats and entries, but it’s still way too long. If the number of entries was cut by 50% or 66%, then the quality of the parade could really be worked on and parents would be able to take their kids to a parade to rival the quality and variety of the American Royal. It would also mean that the watching crowd would stay until the end. Sometimes it’s cold out there for the last floats and bands with the crowds walking away in droves.
The downside is that so many families who have traditionally walked in the parade would be excluded. So be it - if you want a better parade. In the early years it made sense for familes to assert their heritage that way, but the parade has been so big for so many years it is more than ready to move onto the next stage. Assert it by paying for a float worthy of Rio, (like notable exceptions) and go stand at the side of the road and watch.
I know some people who have gone to the parade every year but have never seen it. Because they are from the half that has agreed to walk in it. As a neighbourhood parade in its pioneering days, that was great, but the fantastic energy and participation level in KC should now be channeled into giving the crowds so much more than waving at Mary and Peter from next door. Sure you waved at them in Brookside the week before. Most people who have disagreed with me on this do not watch the parade until the very end.
KMBC-TV 9 is showing Live coverage of the KC Parade.
For more information on the parade, including the history, the themes, the award-winners, the photo galleries, and so much more, check out the excellent official parade website
See the full list of events for St Patrick’s Day in Kansas City
Update: 2007 Winners
See Also:
• Full List of KC St Patrick’s Parade 2006 Winners
• KC Drill Teams Salute Irish Rebels
• KC Irish dance to the end (almost)
• Irish Liberty Tax
• St Patrick’s Day 2006 Arrests - KC Facts
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
I watched the parade up close last year. I also knew somebody who lived right off the route so when I got tired of the never ending parade I went inside and watched it. Am I the only one who thought Bryan Busby looked slammed. Every time he came on he had more crap on and became more incoherent with the “spirit” of the holiday.