Rain or shine: St. Patrick’s Day Parade set for March 25

MANCHESTER, NH – The 23rd Manchester Saint Patrick’s Parade has been scheduled for Sunday, March 25, 2018, and will go off, rain or shine, at noon.

The Shamrock Shuffle road race kicks things off at 10:45 a.m. for the kids race and 11:15 a.m. for adults and uses roads near the parade route and along the parade route. Click here for more on that.

Parking/Shuttle Service for participants:

There is absolutely no parking in the vicinity of the uptown parade Assembly Areas. Participants must leave their cars at one of two downtown lots near the end of the parade route.

• Pine Street Lot, behind the Norris Cotton Federal Building, located at 275 Chestnut Street
• Victory Garage, 25 Vine St.

Shuttle service runs from 10 a.m. to noon, from the corner of Central and Chestnut Street to the Assembly Area.

Please do not attempt to drop participants off near the Assembly Areas as many of the roads are closed. Please use the shuttle service.

You can see a map of the area, with these spots noted, here.

Parade Assembly Areas:

Parade marching units will assemble in the parking lot behind the Brady Sullivan Tower at 1750 Elm St. This parking lot is used only for marching units and certain emergency vehicles. All trucks, flatbeds, horse units, utility vehicles, floats, audio vans and cars will line up on Elm St between Webster Street and Salmon Street.

Buses:

Passenger buses (school buses, etc.) will bring participants to the Assembly Area. Participants can pick up the shuttle at the corner of Central and Chestnut Streets downtown.

Floats, Motorized Units & Other Vehicles:

Take Canal Street north where it becomes River Road and proceed past West North Street to the light at Webster Street. Turn right on Webster Street, go one block and turn right onto Elm Street. Tell the police officer there you are in the parade and Parade Staff will line you up.

Assistance:

Ask any yellow jacketed Parade Staff for assistance with directions, Division assignment, etc.

Weather:

The Parade is a rain-or-shine event. If there is a severe weather warning, a decision relative to staging the Parade will be made by 7 a.m. on Parade Day. Visit the parade website at www.SaintPatsNH.com or listen to WZID 95.7 or 96.5 The Mill. Also, a recorded telephone message can be heard at 603-647-8728..

Meet 2018 Grand Marshal Sheila Smith

Sheila Smith was educated in the Manchester School system and received an Associate’s Degree from Hesser College and is currently employed by the Manchester School District as a Paraprofessional at Wilson Street School.

In addition to her work with the children in the city of Manchester, perhaps she has waited on you at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester. She has been employed there for more than 32 years.

Smith is third of nine children born to Denis and Cecelia O’Neil, a very prominent Irish family in the city. She is married to Doug Smith and together they have raised 3 adult children, Kara (Poirier), Brighid and Liam, all of whom have attended Manchester Schools.

She is devoted to her Catholic faith and worships at St. Pius X Church in Manchester. Smith enjoys Irish Set Dancing and enjoys the benefits from a Kayaking Club.

As far as her community outreach, Smith is devoted to providing service to her community. She has been a Red Cross organizer since 2004 and Red Cross donor since 1990. For more than 20 years she has been a loyal member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH).