Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Marches in with a Pub Crawl and Kilt Contest to Begin the First Weekend of Parade Events

Parade to be held March 17, 2013 throughout Allentown’s West End

Dianne Mascari
Sean Ferguson
John Chaya
Hugh Gallagher

The Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, Inc.announced the schedule of events surrounding the 56^th Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade today. The 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade will be held March 17, 2013 departing at 1:30 pm from the Allentown Fairgrounds.

Remember the Famine: Annual Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Food Drive:The Parade is sponsoring a food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley in partnership with the Minsi Trails Council to help collect food on the day of the Parade. Collection baskets will be located along the Parade route and Boy Scouts will be walking in the Parade collecting donations from spectators. The drive kicks off at the Parade Fundraiser on February 17. At the Coronation Celebration on March 15 donations will also be taken. The Parade is asking all spectators to bring a nonperishable food item to donate.

Parade Pub Crawl – March 9, 2013: The Parade Eve Pub Crawl, initiated in 2008 will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2013 throughout the West End of Allentown with ten sponsoring pubs. The sponsoring pubs are as follows; MiXx Lounge, Jack Callaghan’s Ale House, Liberty Street Tavern, Stooge’s Bar and Grille, Ringer’s Roost, Fairgrounds Hotel/Maingate, Greg’s West End Saloon, and Volpe’s Sports Bar, Nino’s Restaurant and Pizzeria and Roosevelt’s. Participants can register at any of the sponsoring pubs through March 10, 2013. Registration is $15 per person and includes a t-shirt. Participants should be at their respective pub for the 6:00 pm check-in and the 6:30 pm start time. Proceeds for the pub crawl benefit the Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade to pay for marching units and bands. For information regarding the Pub Crawl contact Jennifer Eck at j.eck@jennifereckllc.com, call 610.462.3730 or go to www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com.

Best Legs in a Kilt Contest – March 9, 2013: Jack Callaghan’s Ale House is presenting the Best Legs in a Kilt Contest to be held March 9, 2013 prior to the start of the Parade Pub Crawl. Registration is free and can be completed at Callaghan’s up until 4 pm on March 9, 2013. There will be a prize awarded for the winner of the men’s and women’s division. The Contest will be held at 5 pm at Jack Callaghan’s Ale House with the winner being crowned before the start of the Pub Crawl. Judges for the 2013 Kilt Contest are Jamie Metz, Dan Buglio, Dan Eck, Dan Marano, Colleen McGinley and LV Beer Guy. Registration must be made at Jack Callaghan’s Ale House. Jack Callaghan’s Ale House is located at 2027 Tilghman Street, Allentown, PA 18104. For more information regarding the Kilt Contest contact Jennifer Eck at j.eck@jennifereckllc.com or call 610.462.3730.

City of Allentown Flag Raising—March 15, 2013: On Friday March 15, 2013 the flag of the Republic of Ireland will be raised at City Hall Plaza, Allentown at 11:45 AM. This flag raising event is to commemorate the contributions of those of Irish Heritage who contributed to the formation and growth of Allentown and the greater Allentown area. A pipe salute and brief remarks by John A. Chaya, President of the Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, Inc. and The Honorable Edward Pawlowski, Mayor of the City of Allentown will mark the occasion. City Hall is located at 435 Hamilton Street, Allentown.

Patrick & Maureen “O’Grady” White

Coronation Celebration – March 15, 2013: Patrick and Maureen (O’Grady) White have been named the 2013 King and Queen of the Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade and will be crowed at the annual Coronation Celebration to be held March 15 at the Agricultural Hall Annex at the Allentown Fairgrounds. The Celebration includes a dinner event from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Tickets to the dinner are purchased separately from the Coronation Celebration and are $15 per person and must be purchased in advance. The Coronation Celebration is from 8 pm to midnight with doors opening at 7:30 pm. The Coronation of the 2013 King and Queen will take place at 9 pm. Tickets for the Coronation Celebration are $15 per person or $18 at the door. Coronation Celebration tickets include a copy of the 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Program Book, beer and a door prize ticket. All guests are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley. Music is being provided by No Daddy’s. Tickets for both events can be purchased online at www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com calling 610.443.0429, or emailing stpatstickets@aol.com.

St. Patrick’s Mass – March 17, 2013: A mass to celebrate St. Patrick will be held Sunday, March 17, 2013 at Immaculate Conception Church at 9:15 AM. Bishop John O. Barres will be the celebrant of the Mass that will feature a procession that includes James Ruhf, Pipe Major for the City of Bethlehem Pipe Band, Officers procession led by Chief Jim Spang, former Parade Kings and Queens and the 2013 King and Queen, Patrick and Maureen White and the statue of St. Patrick. Immaculate Conception Church is located at 501 Ridge Avenue, Allentown, PA 18102.

Parade Breakfast– March 17, 2013: The annual Parade Breakfast will be held at The Agricultural Hall Annex on March 17, 2013 from 9 am to Noon. Tickets at $10 and must be purchased in advance, no day of event tickets will be sold. Proceeds benefit the Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade. Agricultural Hall Annex is located at 19^th and Liberty Streets, Allentown, PA 18104 just inside the Fairgrounds gate #6. For tickets to the Parade Breakfast call 610-443-0429, go to www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com

West End 5K – March 17, 2013: The West End Alliance is sponsoring a 5K run on Saturday, March 17, 2013 along the Parade Route. Start time is 12:30 pm. The 5K will start and end at Muhlenberg College. Prizes will be awarded to top three male/female open; top three male/female masters; top three 0-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. Registration for the 5K is closed. Proceeds for the 5K benefit the West End Alliance. The 5K is organized by Chair, Michael Drabenstott.

House Decorating/Porch Party Contest – March 17, 2013:The 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Committee designed a house decorating/ porch party contest to be judged by parade committee members imbedded in the parade. Prizes will be awarded to the “best porch party” and “best decorated house” along the parade route. The parade route will form at the fairgrounds track near the Liberty and Seventeenth Streets gate (Main Gate vicinity).  The parade will proceed west on Liberty, turn north on 19^th Street, West on Tilghman to 25^th Street, south on 25^th Street to Liberty Street, then east on Liberty Street and disband at the Fairgrounds 19th Street gate. All homes along the parade route are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be awarded immediately upon conclusion of the parade.

West End Parade Route Business Decorating and Office Party Contest – March 17, 2013: Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, Inc. is hosting a contest for all businesses along the Parade route to be judged the day of the Parade. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated office and the best office party along the Parade route. The Parade route will form at the fairgrounds track near the Liberty and Seventeenth Streets gate (Main Gate vicinity).  The Parade will proceed west on Liberty, turn north on 19^th Street, West on Tilghman to 25^th Street, south on 25^th Street to Liberty Street, then east on Liberty Street and disband at the Fairgrounds 19th Street gate. All business along the Parade route along the Parade route are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be awarded immediately upon conclusion of the Parade.

Massed Bands Exhibition – March 17, 2013: Massed Bands Exhibition will take place immediately before the Parade, at 1:00 PM on North 19^th Street between Tilghman and Liberty Streets. All nine pipe bands will perform in unison under the direction of Drum Major Jason Litz of the City of Bethlehem Pipe Band. After the parade the pipe bands will proceed to their host pub to perform additional tunes.

56^th Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade – March 17, 2013: The 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade, now in its 56^th year, will start its march at 1:30 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2013. The parade route will form at the fairgrounds track near the Liberty and Seventeenth Streets gate (Main Gate vicinity).  The parade will proceed west on Liberty, turn north on 19^th Street, west on Tilghman Street to 25^th Street, south on 25^th Street to Liberty Street, then east on Liberty Street and disband at the Fairgrounds 19th Street gate. The parade will include the 2013 King and Queen Patrick and Maureen (O’Grady) White riding in a white coach drawn by a huge team of Belgium horses, followed by seven parade divisions each led by a pipe band. The divisions are made up of marching groups from many of the area schools, attractions such as antique cars, farm tractors, clowns and groups representing many organizations and groups in the Greater Lehigh Valley area.

For questions regarding events or the 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade, please contact Jennifer Eck at j.eck@jennifereckllc.com or call 610.462.3730.

For detailed information regarding all 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade events and to purchase tickets go to www.allentownstpatricksdayparade.com.

About the Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade

The first known St. Patrick’s Parade was held in Allentown in the late 1860’s. Over a century later, in 1955, what we know as the modern day Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade was organized by business and political leaders through the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Society. The Parade ran from 12^th and Hamilton Streets to the Immaculate Conception Church on Ridge Avenue. The Parade will celebrate its 56th Anniversary on March 17, 2013. For more information or to participate in the 2013 Allentown St. Patrick’s Parade go to www.allentownstpatricksdayParade.com.