2024 –  40th Annual

GRAND MARSHAL = BARRY FRIEDMAN
Theme = “Irish Pubs & Folklore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2023 –  39th Annual

GRAND MARSHAL = THE RYAN FAMILY

 

 

2022 –  38th Annual

Parade was moved from March 12th to March 19th.  This was done due to the weather
being  predicted to be 25 degrees, with possible wind chill factor of 9 degrees.

The Parade Committee was able to Donate $2000 to this charity and $300 to each High School Marching Band that participated!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 – 37th Annual

Parade was not held due to the COVID 19 pandemic was still active
and public health rules were not allowing large gatherings yet.

2020 – 36th Annual

Theme: Irish Eyes Are Smiling Downtown
Parade was cancelled as the Parade Day, March 14,2020.
marked the 1st day of the city’s lock down due to Coronavirus Pandemic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019 – 35th Annual

Grand Marshal: Share the Spirit Foundation
Theme: Share the Irish Spirit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 – 34th Annual

Grand Marshal: Public Work Department, Springfield IL
Theme: ShamRock ‘n Roll

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2017 – 33rd Annual

Grand Marshal: Contact Ministries
Theme: Irish Hearts of Gold
Float Contest Winners: Funshop (1st), Springfield Ski Club (2nd), Christ the King School (3rd), The Ryan Clan (4th), Crows Mill Pub (Honorable Mention)
Charitable Contribution: $7,500 to Contact Ministries

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2016 – 32nd Annual

Grand Marshal: The Langfelder Family
Theme: Family is Thee Pot O’ Gold
Charitable Contribution: $5,000

2016 Poster

2015 – 31st Annual

Grand Marshal: Coach Ken Leonard and the State Champion 2014 Sacred Heart – Griffin Cyclones Football Team
Theme: Irish Hearts in the Capital City
Float Contest Winners: Brennan-Conway Clan (1st), SOHO (2nd), Sham-Rockin’ Ryans (3rd)
Charitable Contribution: $5,000 to the Philip Pearson Memorial Scholarship Fund

donationtopearson

2014 – 30th Annual

Grand Marshal: James Clancy Sr and the Inter-Veteran’s Burial Detail of Sangamon County
Theme: Rock the Blarney
Charitable Contribution: $5,000 to the Inter-Veteran’s Burial Detail of Sangamon County

interveterandonation

2013 – 29th Annual

Grand Marshal: Jim McDonough, Previous Parade President, UCP and Saint Patrick’s School Volunteer.
Theme: The Music of Ireland, Then and Now

2012 – 28th Annual

Grand Marshal: St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois
Theme: Celebrating our Ancient Families Wearing the Green

2011 – 27th Annual

Grand Marshal: The IHSA Class 4A Football Champions, Rochester Rockets
Theme: Carrying on a Family Tradition

2010 – 26th Annual

Grand Marshal: St . Patrick’s Catholic Grammar School for serving the Springfield eastside community for over 100 years

2009 – 25th Annual

Grand Marshal: Butch Elzea, community activist best known for his work on Edwin Watts Southwind Park

2008 – 24th Annual

Grand Marshal: Four previous St. Pat’s parade presidents: Ray Cachares, Pat O’Grady, John Reid and Tim Strutz

2007 – 23rd Annual

Grand Marshal: Marge and Homer Simpson, portrayed by Fox TV’s Rachael Atchison and WQLZ’s Matt Mottershaw

2006 – 22nd Annual

Grand Marshal: Randy Duncan, an Abe Lincoln personality from Carlinville and Springfield city workers, in honor of their service in the aftermath of the tornadoes

2005 – 21st Annual

Grand Marshal: The soldiers and families of the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment and 232nd Corps Support Battalion

2004 – 20th Annual

Grand Marshal: Chatham Glenwood High School soccer team

2003 – 19th Annual

Grand Marshal: American Legion posts 32 and 809

2002 – 18th Annual

Grand Marshal: Two local pairs figure-skaters – Jennifer Fortin, 12, of Springfield and Alex Baird, 14, of Sherman

2001 – 17 Annual

Grand Marshal: A contingent of World War II veterans, escorted by six marching honor guard units, the 144th Army National Guard band, WWII re-enactor Jim Gray’s Army Jeep and the Elks Lodge’s giant American glad lead the parade

2000 – 16th Annual

Grand Marshal: Jim O’Toole, founding president of Springfield’s St. Patrick’s Day Marching Band Parade

1999 – 15th Annual

Grand Marshal: Celebrating the theme of “Irish Moms and Dads,” the grand marshals were Ed Grady and Norene O’Brien Davlin

1998 – 14th Annual

Grand Marshal: Two units of Army National Guard soldiers, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment and the 106th Aviation Regiment, recently returned from service in Eastern Europe

1997 – 13th Annual

Grand Marshal: Melissa “Missy” Rogers, student at Lutheran High School and a member of the Justin Highland Dancers

1996 – 12th Annual

Grand Marshal: Dermot O’Callaghan, city council member and business leader of Springfield sister city Killarney, Ireland

1995 – 11th Annual

Grand Marshal: Jean Driscoll, winner, women’s wheelchair course record holder and world record holder of the Boston Marathon from 1990-1994

1994 – 10th Annual*

Grand Marshal: Three-time national champion Sangamon State Prairie Stars soccer team and their coach, Aydin Gonulsen

1993 – 9th Annual

No parade

1992 – 8th Annual

Grand Marshal: Maureen Mary Kannady, Special Olympics competitor

1991 – 7th Annual

Grand Marshal: George Behl, decorated World War II veteran involved in veteran education

1990 – 6th Annual

Grand Marshal: Architect Paul O’Shea

1989 – 5th Annual

Grand Marshal: Sangamon County State’s Attorney Don Cadagin

1988 – 4th Annual

Grand Marshal: Springfield realty broker Patrick Grady. Mike Eruzione, captain of the U.S. Olympic gold-meal winning men’s hockey team, served as celebrity grand marshal.

1987 – 3rd Annual

Grand Marshal: Donna Conway Miller, member of St. Patrick’s Parish for more than a half-century

1986 – 2nd Annual

Grand Marshal: Illinois Presbyterian Home administrator Thomas O’Fallon, great-grandmother Margaret “peg” Sullivan Kelly and Donna Mulcahy Fitts, a secretary of state administrator

1985 – Inaugural

Grand Marshal: William “Pinky” McHenry, who was instrumental in the revitalization of St. John’s Breadline and Friends of Brother James Court


 

* The 1994 parade was initially considered the 9th Annual Parade after the cancellation in 1993 due to unforeseen circumstances. After much deliberation, this was corrected to the 10th Annual Parade in 2013. All parades after 1994 have been corrected as well.