St. Paul Families Keep St. Patrick's Day Traditions Alive

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It is a tradition when you are from St. Paul; getting your family together to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

"We are one of the bigger communities in the United States," Katie Martin, from the St. Patrick's Association, said. "I've heard different statistics, and you know, when you're Irish the details aren't always that important -- the story is important. But I've heard that we put on the third-largest parade in the country."

And this year is special. It is the 50th anniversary of the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

While there were parades earlier than that, the archbishop shut them down due to shenanigans, or so the story goes. But things changed in 1966.

"Couple of drunken Irishmen are sitting at Gallivan's Bar, and they have this great idea that, 'You know what, we need to reinstate the St. Patrick's Day Parade,'" Martin said.

That is the year Agnes Sullivan Peterson became the first Miss Shamrock.

"My sister in law decided I should run and she sent my name in, that's how it happened with me!" Sullivan Peterson said.

Tim Burke, 84, has been to every parade. And he believes in keeping the family tradition.

"It's a good deal. Otherwise you get together at weddings or funerals," Burke said. "But we've always gotten together at the parade. I just know I don't hit it as hard as I used to."

And on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is family in St. Paul.

"Everybody's Irish on St Patrick's Day," Martin said.

As part of the 50th anniversary, the St. Patrick's Association tracked down as many of the Miss Shamrocks and Mr. Pats as they could find.

Miss Shamrocks also get to keep their crowns.