Boasting everything from street-style tacos and handmade Celtic jewelry to a sighting of Mayor Nancy McFarlane, Raleigh’s 36th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival showcased the uplifting sense of community that exists right here in the City of Oaks.
The parade, which started at 10 a.m. Saturday on Fayetteville Street, was followed by the much-loved Wearin’ ‘O The Green festival in City Plaza. The event attracted festivalgoers of all ages and backgrounds in celebration of all that is Irish culture.
Dianne Enright, the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee director, was one of many who helped to make this year’s parade a success. Enright came into her position after being involved with Raleigh’s Friends of Ireland organization since 2001, and has been working to spread awareness and celebration of Irish culture ever since.
“I am of Irish descent — not only Irish, some other things like most people [who come of different backgrounds] — but the vast majority [of my background] is Irish heritage,” Enright said. “I enjoy the traditional music and dance. I really identify with that.”
Igniting Fayetteville Street with palpable energy and passion were the various music groups that took the stage throughout the community event. From a high-energy performance by the U.S. Fleet Forces Band in the late afternoon, a “special guest” Enright was proud to have come out, to an impressive set by NC State’s very own Pipes and Drums, music was a pivotal part of the festival’s dedication to celebrating Irishness.
“For our entertainment, we try to stick to Celtic or traditional Irish music, or Irish-influenced music,” Enright said. “So that’s how we choose our bands.”
Appropriately complementing the rich sounds of Irish history were traditional Irish dance performances. Numerous local Irish dance schools and academies were present at the festival, including Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance and the Rince Go Halainn Irish Dance Academy. Clad in colorful attire and sporting broad smiles, the dancers remained a popular attraction throughout the day’s festivities.
Perhaps just as popular as the festival’s entertainment lineup was the food. Satisfying a wide array of cravings, food trucks and stands lined the street with aromas that were sweet, savory and everything in between. Attendees could also grab a cold beer from one of the beer trucks, which were home to multiple beers on tap.
Many food vendors at the parade also regularly make an appearance at the NC State Fair, deeming both events local favorites. One vendor, Carolina Kettle Corn, served up freshly popped kettle corn that smelled — almost — as sweet as it tasted. Carolina Kettle Corn’s owners, Jess and Patrick Dougherty, recently bought the business after their neighbors — who founded the company 25 years ago — decided to sell. For the Raleigh-based married couple, it marked the perfect opportunity to begin a family adventure into running a business centered around one particularly tasty product. Patrick Dougherty reflected on how he and his wife first got started with the parade.
“Our children used to dance in the parade, and actually last year was the first year we did this event,” Dougherty said. “The kids were dancing in it so we decided we’d come and sell some kettle corn because we had the business at that point.”
This year proved successful for the Dougherty’s, as Patrick Dougherty said business was thriving even more than at last year’s parade. At heart, the Dougherty’s are a prime example of all the festival resembles: community.
“Getting to do it with our kids and our family — that’s my favorite part [about running the business],” Jess Dougherty said.
Additional popular grub included deep fried cheese curds, a typical carnival-style pick that proved well worth the calories. While customers could choose from a wide range of flavors, the jalapeno and traditional white cheddar cheese curds were crowd favorites, according to one of the food truck’s volunteers, Keelea Krear. Krear, a second-year studying fashion and textiles, reflected on her involvement with the parade.
“I really love working for the Cheese Curd Shack,” Krear said. “It’s a great group of people to work with, and it’s a great environment down here, too.”
Furthering the parade’s reputation as a community-centered event was its showcase of local Irish-inspired arts and crafts. Everything from intricate Irish-inspired jewelry, which featured colorful stones and gems, to brightly patterned clothing was present at the parade, drawing in appreciators of all kinds.
As a whole, this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade truly resembled the multifaceted nature of Irish culture. Through dance, music, art and food, the city of Raleigh was given more than just the chance to have a fun way to celebrate this year’s St. Paddy’s Day — it was a learning opportunity.
“It [the parade] gives people an exposure to different things,” Enright said. “You might be from somewhere else, and have different backgrounds growing up that you’re exposed to, and it’s great that you can learn about different things and different diversities of cultures from all over the world.”
Parade participants hand out green bead necklaces to the crowd at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday in Downtown Raleigh. This parade looks to celebrate the Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland on his feast day, March 17.
