The St. Louis area is home to all kinds of holiday traditions—hayrides, Thanksgiving parades, Christmas lights and visits with Santa. Drawing crowds from all over the area, these are always a huge success. However, one of the most exciting traditions and extravagant celebrations in the St. Louis community is the St. Patrick’s Day parades.

Known as one of the top parades in the country, the downtown St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day parade is filled with fun floats and activities. Comprised of 120 units including marching bands, cartoon balloon characters, over 5000 marchers and lots of clowns, this year’s parade could be the best one yet. St. Louis is expecting over 2500 spectators next weekend on March 16 at 12 p.m. Head on out to experience the parade of a lifetime!

A little closer to home is the Cottleville parade, started 11 years ago by the Cottleville Firefighters Outreach. It is now the largest parade in St. Charles County. The event is now known as the Shamrock Parade and Run, and all donations go to assist the Cottleville Firefighter Outreach. This parade is a vital part of the community, and a fun experience that to look forward to. On March 16, come out to support in the run starting at 5 a.m. and enjoy the parade afterwards ending around 3 p.m.!

This year, spend your St. Patrick’s Day celebrating with family, friends and community at one of the fantastic parades that St. Louis has to offer! These parades are expecting their biggest turnouts yet, and you will not want to miss them!