Utica St. Patrick's Day Parade Marks 195 Years
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MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL Volume 16, Issue 3 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Mar 2019 Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Marks 195 Years On Saturday, March 16th, downtown Utica will once again be the site of one of the Mohawk Valley’s most fun-filled family traditions: the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Presented by the Great American Irish Festival, the parade starts at 10 AM at Oneida Square and continues until reaching Columbia Street. Many spectators find the reviewing stand area in front of the Stanley Theatre a prime location to enjoy the parade, but the fact is there is not a bad viewing spot along the route. The parade -- the culmination of a full week of Irish-centered activities in honor of National Irish Month -- will be proudly led by this year’s Grand Marshal, John Sullivan. The St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of Utica’s oldest and grandest celebrations, originated in 1824 by Utica’s first mayor and pre-eminent Irishman, John C. Devereux. Following a St. Patrick’s Day banquet he organized at Bagg’s Tavern, Devereux summoned his fellow diners outside, where he led the group in a one-street procession to celebrate their patron saint. Thus began the tradition of Utica’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, and of its being led by a worthy Grand Marshal. Beginning that year and continuing for every parade for the next 24 years until his death in 1848, Utica’s John Devereux could be seen leading “his” parade, “…wearing a green sash and sporting a genuine shamrock from the ‘ould sod’ in his button hole.” After a few years of inactivity, the parade was revived in 1978 as a short parade down Varick St. It was moved to Genesee St. shortly after the “Cable Cares Club” began hosting the parade. In 2007 the Great American Irish Festival took over the reins and it now holds the distinction of being one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York State. In addition to the marching units, vehicles and floats, the parade also features a 1-mile fun run called the “Mad Mile,” which will take place just before the parade, and the annual Food Drive (see article below). Parade Committee Chairman David Wood is pleased with the progress being made thus far, but still has openings for participants, and of course, more volunteers are always welcome. If your group or organization is still considering participating in the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, entry applications are due by Saturday, March 2nd. You can find the form by clicking this link, and scrolling down to the line that reads “Applications to participate…” Stanley Theater to Host Grand Marshal Reception Marking the ceremonial “passing of the Shillelagh” from the previous parade Grand Marshal to this year’s, the Grand Marshal’s Reception will be held on March 12th, 2019, on the stage at Utica’s majestic Stanley Theater. Last year’s Grand Marshal, Judy Weeks, will be on hand to do the honors, when – flanked by an assemblage of past Grand Marshals – she hands off the shillelagh to this year’s honoree, John Sullivan. The reception, which runs from 6-9 PM, costs $20, which goes to defray the costs of the parade. Food and refreshments are included, and providing entertainment throughout the evening will be Craobh Dugan, Utica’s chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 1 Utica’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Conducts Food Drive “There is a story about a man who left this earth and was taken on a tour of the inner realms. He was shown a room where he saw a large group of hungry people trying to eat dinner, but because the spoons they were trying to eat with were longer than their arms, they remained frustrated. “This,” his guide told him, “is Hell.” “That's terrible!” exclaimed the man; “Please show me Heaven!” “Very well,” agreed the guide, and on they went. When they opened Heaven’s door, the man was perplexed to see what looked very much like the same scene: there was a group of people with spoons longer than their arms. As he looked more closely, however, he saw happy faces and full tummies, for there was one important difference: the people in Heaven had learned to feed each other.” -- Alan Cohen, “The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore” For the 11th consecutive year, the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is conducting the annual Parade Food Drive, as a way of giving back to the community, and in remembrance of one of the most horrific and defining periods in Irish history. On March 16th, St. Patrick’s Day Parade attendees and marchers are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the parade, which will be collected and turned over to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen at the St. Joseph- St. Patrick Parish Center. Named for Blessed Mother Marianne Cope, who grew up in West Utica and went on to devote the last 30 years of her life to the lepers of Hawaii’s Molokai, ultimately being canonized a Saint in October 2012, this program – also in its 11th year -- claims a unique tie to the local Irish community: It is located across the street from the nearly-completed Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley; the site of the original St. Patrick’s Church, which was built by a burgeoning Irish population who had come to America to escape the Great Hunger in the 1850s. Co-chairing this cause, as she has every year since its inception in 2009, is Chris Hoke, who took the germ of an idea from then Parade Director Kevin Dowling and turned it into the extremely successful event it is today. To date, Chris, her tireless co-chair Bernie Adorino and their stalwart team of volunteers -- their friends and family, GAIF volunteers, family and employees of Adorino Construction, and Notre Dame Elementary students and parents -- have collected and donated nearly 11,000 food items and more than $11,000 to the West Side Kitchen! This year Bernie and Chris want to make the drive the most successful yet, so start collecting up your non- perishable food items and on Parade day, fill up the familiar wheelbarrows and green money boxes, before or during the parade. Many thanks go to Chris and Bernie for heading up this annual drive, to Adorino Construction for their continued support, to the inspired and inspiring schoolchildren, and to the many parade attendees and participants who have so selflessly “learned to feed each other” year after year. Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Raffle Tickets On Sale! Raffle tickets to help offset the cost of the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade are now available. All tickets are $1, with chances to win seven great prizes: 1st: a party for 20 in the 1888 Tavern, FX Matt Brewing Company; 2nd: a $100 Certificate for The Tailor & The Cook Restaurant; 3rd: private catered dinner for 6 in your home by O’Connor’s “A Moveable Feast;” 4th: a $100 certificate to the Celtic Harp; 5th: two tickets to “Rael -- Genesis Tribute Band” show at the Stanley Theater; 6th: four weekend passes to the Great American Irish Festival, July 26-28, 2019, and 7th: Utica Comets Team Signed Jersey. For tickets, contact Mary Lou Manchester at [email protected], or track down any GAIF committee member. The drawing will be at 3 PM on March 24th at the Celtic Harp. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 2 Irish Cultural Center Update It’s been a few months since we published the first of our monthly updates on the progress of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley…okay, it’s been twelve of those months. A lot has changed since March of 2018, a month marked by: a massive winter storm that hit the East Coast, Mark Zuckerberg being compelled to apologize for his business practices…wait, but… a major retail chain announced it was closing its doors… hmmm… the Kardashians made money doing nothing … uh… Okay, maybe life is a bad example. But one thing that has progressed in the last year is the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley. On Sunday, Feb 17th, local media personality and past St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal Joe Kelly took his weekly “Joe Kelly Show” on the road, broadcasting from inside the nearly-completed Cultural Center. The show featured individual interviews with three of the more prominent figures responsible for the Center’s progress; GAIF President and counsel to the Cultural Center Peter Karl, then the man responsible for the building’s interior and exterior construction, John Sullivan (also this year’s Parade Grand Marshal), and finally, GAIF co-director, Jeff Ball. To see the interviews and get a virtual tour of the facility, check out the videos hosted on the CNY Homepage site: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Standing on the hallowed ground that was once the site of Utica’s first Irish church, the 21,000 square foot Irish Cultural Center comprises a 285-seat event center capable of hosting dinners and receptions, a huge kitchen for handling the daily dinner menu as well as internal and external catered activities, parking for 130 vehicles, an Irish cultural museum, office spaces for local Irish organizations, and the pride of it all – an authentic Irish pub known as “The Five Points Public House.” And despite Kelly’s three guests seeing the building through vastly different lenses, each echoed the same sentiment: There simply is not an Irish pub this beautiful anywhere from New York to Buffalo.