St. Patrick's Day Parade and Open House at MIHC

The Irish American Club’s Saint Patrick’s Parade will be held on Sunday, March 17th, and will kick off at Noon. Join the fun as a parade spectator or experience the celebrations

Attend the parade: The parade route is along Commercial Street in Portland, beginning at the intersection with Center Street and ending at Bell Buoy Park near the Casco Bay Ferry terminal. This beloved annual tradition is the largest celebration of Irish and Irish American culture north of Boston, and has been a yearly highlight for many parade marchers and spectators.

This year’s parade will feature two pipe and drum bands, the Stillson School of Irish Dance, color guards from area military and protective services, the display of Irish national, provincial, and county flags, mascots from area sports teams, and more.

March with the Maine Irish Heritage Center: Members of the MIHC are invited to march alongside the Maine Irish Heritage Center float during the parade. Marchers will assemble in the Portland Fish Pier Parking lot prior to 11am. Costumes with Irish bling and lots of green are strongly encouraged! Strollers and carriages are allowed, as long as they are decorated. Dogs with bling are welcomed, but they must be under strict adult command, leashed at all times, well-behaved, and comfortable with crowds and loud noises. Please no bicycles! For more information, email us at maineirish@maineirish.com.

Click here to check the status of your Maine Irish Heritage Center membership. Click here to sign up as a new member!

Open House Afterwards at MIHC:

This year, we’ll open the doors wide for tours, music, and family fun. Check out our library, learn about our Genealogy resources, and visit the historic sanctuary built brick-by-brick by Irish hands in the 1800s. We’ll have food trucks out front and snacks and beverages available inside. Live music will be provided by the one and only Joe Markley, the Singing Celt. We hope to have a few extra surprises as well.