One of the many fun, festive things Chicago does for Saint Patrick’s Day is the South Side Irish parade. The parade normally happens on the third Sunday in March. Rain or shine, the parade kicks off on 103rd and Western Avenue and travels all the way to 115th Street. 

The South Side Irish parade was founded in the winter of 1979 by George Hendry and Pat Coakley, who were neighbors at the time and had become best friends. Hendry and Coakley were reminiscing about their childhood and how they used to go to the South Side Irish parade on 79th Street in Chicago.  That got them thinking about how they wished the parade was still around. The parade was a very important time in their childhood and they wanted their kids and the neighborhood kids to be able to go to a Saint Patrick’s Day parade. 

On March 17, 1979, the new South Side Irish parade was born.  The first parade route was on the sidewalk around the 10900 blocks of Washtenaw and Talman and included 17 marchers, all children from the community.  The children were called “The Wee Folks of Washtenaw and Talman.” 

The next year the parade grew to 300 participants and moved to the streets.  It began at Kennedy Park and ended at Beverly Park.  The parade moved to Western Avenue in 1981, from 103rd to 115th Street, and remains on the same route today. 

Every year the parade grows in size.  It is considered the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade outside of Dublin, Ireland. 

Every year since 1981 a Grand Marshal has been chosen.  It is usually a charitable organization dedicated to children.  The Grand Marshal this year was the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. 

In 2004, the parade began to honor a community organization as a special honoree.  The Community Honoree for 2024 was Smith Village.  

The 2024 Saint Patrick’s Day parade was unique because it actually occurred on Saint Patrick’s Day itself.   It was a sea of green up and down Western Avenue.  There were over 100 floats and groups walking in the parade this year.  The “Wee Folks of Washtenaw and Talman,” the founders of the parade, had a float.  The Marist competitive cheerleading team and the Marist girls’ softball team also marched in the parade and were honored for being IHSA State Champions.  

“There are 106 floats in the parade today,” said a member of the parade committee.  “It is a great day to be Irish,” she said.   

“I love the South Side Irish Parade,” said Amy Rogala, a spectator at the parade.

 “To me, the parade and Saint Patrick’s Day means tradition and fun and celebration,” said Jenny McNichols, another spectator at the parade.