The Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade is so incredibly popular and attracts a ton of people to the streets of Minneapolis for a few hours in the middle of March! This year is the 50th annual parade. But how did this huge tradition start?

The parade is run by the Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Association. This association can be traced back to 1969 when Sean and Judith Clerkin decided they wanted to share their Irish pride and also give back to the community. The first parade was initiated by Duff's Bar and Bardford's Pub. There was one float provided by the Sons and Daughters of Ireland and it was just a short caravan between the two pubs. Then, in 1970 they created the first St. Patrick's Day Association button to promote their Irish spirit and raise money for the American Diabetes Association. Today, the organization sells parade buttons and beads and the proceeds go to Camp Needlepoint, a camp put on by the American Diabetes Association. The entire organization is run by volunteers so all of the money can be donated.

Check out this year's parade and help support this great cause! The 50th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade starts at 6:30PM and takes place along Nicollet Mall.

Get more information at their website.

 

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