Whether it’s St. Patty’s day, St. Paddy’s Day or‚ for sticklers, the original St. Patrick’s Day, revelers are gearing up for the annual March holiday and getting decked out in green to proclaim their Irish pride ~ whether they have any ancestral ties to Ireland or not. You may want to be a part of it, too, as Worcester’s parade is a time for togetherness and community, and Worcester residents and our neighbors will celebrate their Irish heritage ~ and maybe just a few of us will indulge in a pint along the way for good measure.

There’s much more to the tradition than just shamrocks and green beer, of course, and that’s what the 33rd annual Worcester County St. Patrick’s Day Parade proves, since it honors many members of the local community for all they have done over the past year. In November, the parade committee recognized five members who have been involved with the parade for 30 years or more, and in its 33rd year, this parade signifies a commitment to the cause and to the community.

Steve Trainor, parade committee chairman for more than 15 years, said, “It’s been a joy to do this with the group of people we have here. There’s a great working nucleus, and it’s also great for the community; it’s just like a big family gathering.”

So bring your family and friends to this year’s parade, which will start at noon Sunday, March 8. The parade heads down Park Avenue, beginning at Mill Street and ending at Highland Street about two hours later. Before the parade ~ a day before the parade, in fact ~ you’ll find much fun and fanfare at the annual Political Breakfast Roast. It’s a morning full of jokes, music and entertainment, and it all begins bright and early at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at the Armenian Church of Our Savior Cultural Center. Tickets are $25 each, with all proceeds supporting the Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade. Then, at 4 p.m., Bishop McManus leads the annual St. Patrick’s Parade Mass at Cathedral of St. Paul on Chatham Street.

This year’s grand marshal of the parade is Edward P. Madaus, who is executive director of the Guild of St. Agnes of Worcester. The Guild currently offers services to some 1,500 children in eight state-of-the-art nationally accredited centers in Worcester County and provides after-school care at six Worcester elementary schools, as well as 100 independent care providers throughout Worcester County. Among his other contributions to the community, he (with attorney Paul Demoga) converted the vacant Showcase Cinemas in downtown Worcester into the state-of-the-art Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2008.

Whoever raises the most money for the parade is declared its mayor, and this year, the mayor of the parade is Dottie Doyle, known to many in the community as Mimi Dot and D2.

“Being mayor of the parade is an honor and very exciting,” Doyle said. “The tradition began in 2002, with myself and Leo Quinn going up and down Park Ave. looking for candidates in all the local pubs. We got a late start this year with only three weeks to raise the money, but it’s a favorite event leading up to the parade, and folks rallied.”

Originally from Framingham, Doyle joined the parade committee more than 32 years ago and has been active with it ever since. “Working with the committee, the sponsors, bands and budgets can be challenging, but it has been rewarding every year to see the community come out in all sorts of weather to celebrate. Everyone is Irish on Parade Day,” Doyle said.

For the last several years, she has shared the commentators’ stand with Liz Mullaney, sharing her quick Irish wit and announcing and commenting on the floats that go by during the parade. “Liz and myself have a great time every year working from script descriptions and throwing out Irish trivia to the crowds,” Doyle said. “And of all the jobs I’ve had in the past 32 years, this one is tops!”

Gather up your green ~ and your family and friends, of course ~ and hit the parade route for a festive celebration of everything Irish on Sunday, March 8.

St. Patrick’s Day Events
Worcester
Sunday, March 8 | Parade begins at noon at Mill Street and ends at Highland Street. The Celtic 5K starts at 11 a.m. at Elm Park. www.stpatsparade.com

Boston
Sunday, March 15 | The parade begins at 1 p.m. at the Broadway MBTA Stop in South Boston and ends at Dorchester Avenue. www.southbostonparade.org

Holyoke
Sunday, March 22 | The parade is scheduled to begin at noon at Kmart Plaza and will wind its way through downtown Holyoke. The road race starts at 1 p.m. at 143 Maple St. www.holyokestpatricksparade.com

By Mike Wood