Parade Day is a Holyoke tradition dating back to 1952. The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade is an iconic part of Holyoke’s culture, in which the Irish roots and background that run deep in the small city of Holyoke are celebrated. The parade is an annual Holyoke tradition that falls on the Sunday following St. Patrick’s Day. The parade is also accompanied by the St. Patrick’s Day road race on the Saturday before the parade.

64 years ago, the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade was planned for a year and started by the Brian Boru Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Holyoke Police and Fire Department, Holyoke parishes, and Catholic schools.

The parade has become so popular over the years that it has become known as one of the biggest in New England. Every year, hundreds of thousands of spectators, performers, committee members, award winners, celebrities, and people just looking for a good time, flock to line and march along the approximately 3-mile route through the city of Holyoke that the parade flows through.

A major part of the St. Patrick’s Day parade are its committee members and honorable award recipients. The parade committee consists of a president, 2 vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, and sergeant at arms that all contribute to the smooth flow of the parade. Every year, several different awards are also given to people of notable mention, as well as people who have set good examples and worked to promote their Irish culture. Some of these awards are Parade Ambassador, the J.F.K. Award, Grand Marshall, the O’Connell Award, the Gallivan Award, and the Citizenship Award.

There are many different parts and people that give the parade its unique and enticing qualities that attract so many people. All sorts of people and groups come every year to march, the parade has a variety of marching bands, dance groups, teams, performers, and much more.

Another major part of the parade every year is the Grand Colleen and her court, accompanied by Ms. Congeniality. The colleens are chosen during a pageant where girls between the ages 18-24 with some type of Irish background, along with other qualifications, compete. After the six top contenders are chosen, there is a coronation ball, and at the ball a Grand Colleen is chosen along with a Ms. Congeniality, the remaining four girls are put on the Grand Colleen’s court.

Overall, the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade is a great place to experience what the community of Holyoke is all about, and a great place to just have a good time with tons of great people. As quoted by Tim Keane, a Holyoke native, “The parade is a great time for all people and it  really shows what Holyoke is all about.” The parade is a tradition that expresses the true character of Holyoke along with the fun personalities of all the people in it.