Annual St. Patrick's parade set for Saturday

The 45th annual St. Patrick's parade, presented by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Binghamton. The theme of this year's parade is "Giving of the Green for Community Needs."

The parade will commence at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 37 Fayette St., and head west down Court and Main streets to Arthur Street.

This year's grand marshal is Rusty Grace. The Maid of Erin is Sarah Kathleen O'Brien, and Mark Blakeslee will serve as official starter.

Pipe bands expected to participate are the Edward P. Maloney Memorial Pipe Band, Broome County Celtic Pipers, the Penn York Highlanders, the Philadelphia Police & Firefighters Pipe & Drums Band, the New York City Emerald Society, the Finger Lakes Pipe Band, the Mummers Avalon String Band and the Greater Scranton Black Diamonds Pipe Band.

Local bands expected to march in the parade include the Binghamton High School Marching and Steele Drum bands, the Vestal High School Marching Band and the Broome County Celtic Kazoos.

A Wells Fargo Stagecoach also will be featured in the parade, and a truck from the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) will collect food donations along the parade route.

A parade-day Mass, to be held in honor of the Hibernians, will take place at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church.

The annual Hibernian Parade Party will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at Seton Catholic Central High School, 70 Seminary Ave. in Binghamton.

The band Old Friends will perform from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and six of the pipe bands from the parade also will play. Admission is $5 (free for children ages 12 and younger), and food and drink will be available for purchase. Parking will be available at Recreation Park, 73 Beethoven St., and shuttle service will be available from the park to the high school.

For those unable to attend the parade, it will be broadcast on cable channel 12 at 7 p.m. March 10 and March 17, and on cable channel 8 at 10 p.m. March 17.
— Staff report