Alexandria’s 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be
held March 7 in Old Town Alexandria at 12:30 p.m. Hosted by
the Ballyshaners, who promote Irish heritage through the
parade and the Ballyshaners Festival in the summer, the
parade will start at the corner of King and Alfred streets
and proceed east down King Street to the corner of King and
Lee streets.
The theme of this year’s parade is “Women of Irish Heritage.”
This year’s grand marshal is Laureen O’Neill-James of the
O’Neill-James School of Dance.
Led by an honor guard representing all branches of the armed
services, the parade will feature more than a dozen marching
bands and Irish dancers. Festivities will include a Classic
Car Show on Pitt Street between King and Cameron streets
beginning at 9 a.m. A “Fun Dog Show” to benefit the
Alexandria Animal Welfare League will be held in Market
Square, beginning at 11 a.m. Local pet owners are invited to
dress their dogs in “Irish finery” and participate in the
parade.
