You might have heard that St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, but a lot of the celebrating will happen Saturday, which could be good news for those revelers who have to work Monday morning.
The Irish-themed fun starts with a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jefferson Boulevard and Notre Dame Avenue in South Bend’s East Bank area. There will be two grand marshals: retiring WNDU News anchor Terry McFadden and Swoop, the South Bend Silverhawks mascot that the South Bend Cubs have nudged into retirement this year.
You’ll want to arrive early for a good view of the parade. There are a record-high 50 entries this year, says Kylie Carter, spokeswoman for the parade’s organizer, Downtown South Bend Incorporated.
"It's a combination of walking units, floats, people on bicycles, people on horses..."
After the parade, city officials will die the East Race green.
Of course, the St. Patrick’s Parish Center, just west of downtown, will celebrate. They invite the public from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday for food and drinks, live Gaelic music and dancing.
Most downtown bars have specials plannedbut you don’t have to drink to mark the holiday that celebrates Irish culture. From 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Ox Bow County Park in Goshen, you can embark on a scavenger hunt to find lucky shamrocks that have been hidden by Elkhart County Parks staff. The hunt is free and there are prizes.
