BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The City of Bethlehem will team up with the Celtic Cultural Alliance and Downtown Bethlehem Association to usher in the return of the Parade of Shamrocks this March.
Celtic Cultural Alliance Executive Director Jayne Recker was joined by Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds and Assistant Manager of the Downtown Bethlehem Association Ty Versocki at the Alliance’s Fourth Street headquarters Monday to announce the return of the beloved parade.
Recker noted the city was “coming off a difficult year at the Celtic Classic where we experienced a lot of rain,” referring to the low attendance of 2023’s three-day event due to inclement weather.
But Recker said, “we are super excited to announce the return of the Parade of Shamrocks on March 16, 2024,” with the help and support of the city government.
The parade has not been held since 2019. The coronavirus pandemic caused its cancelation in 2020 and 2021. Inclement weather prevented the parade in 2022.
The Parade of Shamrocks will start on Broad Street at 1 p.m. March 16. It will continue east on Broad and then travel south on Main Street. The parade will end under the Hill-To-Hill Bridge.
Looking forward to spring
Following the fall festival, Recker said a review of the organization’s finances would help determine whether it would return in 2024.
But news of the parade's return just couldn't wait until after Christmas, thanks to all the excitement, Recker said.
“So we are going to celebrate Christmas here in the Christmas City, but we're going to wear green while we're doing it," she said.
"This parade is open to everyone. All businesses, teams, clubs and organizations, we want you to be a part of our parade, a part of our celebration."
“It's kind of like the opening day for Bethlehem. You know, we have baseball and things like that, that start in the spring, but the Parade of Shamrocks — people have been kind of cooped up during the winter, and it allows us an opportunity to come out to both support to Celtic Cultural Alliance, but also get downtown."Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
Reynolds said it was a wonderful sign during a holiday season to be able to look forward to spring.
"We’re thrilled to be a part of it, this partnership” to bring back the parade in order to “make it a consistent part of our downtown in spring,” he said.
“It's kind of like the opening day for Bethlehem. You know, we have baseball and things like that, that start in the spring, but the Parade of Shamrocks — people have been kind of cooped up during the winter, and it allows us an opportunity to come out to both support to Celtic Cultural Alliance, but also get downtown."
The mayor noted that while he and the city administration had been considering ways to support the parade over the past few years, this was the first year city council was able to set aside funding to help pay for the parade.
'Celebrate their Celtic heritage'
While the city is not assuming control of the parade or the Celtic Classic, supporting the events could help boost revenue and taxes in the city.
According to Versocki, the investment from the city could very well serve to stimulate the local economy by drawing locals and tourists to the downtown area.
“This parade acts as an economic driver, boosting businesses for the entire day by attracting many participants and spectators to bring new people downtown, which encourages shopping and dining that our businesses thrive and drive off of,” Versocki said.
Recker said the parade is a great opportunity to celebrate Celtic culture ahead of the beloved Classic in the fall, as a substantial part of the local community has Celtic ties.
“What a lot of people don't know is 33 percent of the Lehigh Valley's population have Celtic roots, so it's a great way for everyone to celebrate their Celtic heritage,” Recker said.
The Celtic Cultural Alliance also is seeking community volunteers to help work on the parade, as well as the Classic, Recker said.
"The easiest way to support the Celtic Classic [and the Parade of Shamrocks] is to visit the Celtic Fest website and check for volunteer opportunities," she said.
