Downtown Topeka's St. Patrick's Day festivities to feature parade, beer and Irish food
Conditions were a wee bit chilly for last year's Topeka St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Temperatures never got above 35 degrees here that day, National Weather Service records show.
But mostly sunny skies and a high mercury reading near 63 are predicted for this year's version of that longstanding tradition, which has a history of turning downtown Topeka into a sea of green.
When and where will Saturday's parade start?
While St. Patrick’s Day isn’t actually until Sunday, Topekans each year have a parade and other events to celebrate that occasion close to March 17.
The Irish Club of Topeka puts on the parade. It has taken place annually in March since 1980 except in 2020, when it was canceled because of COVID, and in 2021, when it was held instead in September.
This year's parade will start at noon Saturday at S. Kansas Avenue and 4th, said Dan Sheehy, chairman of the Irish Club of Topeka.
The parade will proceed south to S. Kansas and 10th, west to S.W. 10th and Jackson, then north before ending at S.W. 4th and Jackson, said a map on the parade website.
The parade will be held "rain or shine," Sheehy said.
Anyone who wishes may drive, walk or ride in the parade, with no registration being required, he said.
However, political advertising won't be allowed, and each parade entry must be decorated using an Irish theme, Sheehy said.
Staging will begin at 10:30 a.m. on S. Kansas Avenue between 1st and 4th streets, he said.
Parade participants may give away candy but may not throw it from floats, Sheehy said. He encouraged those with floats to have people walk alongside the floats giving candy away.
IrishFest
Saturday's festivities will include the annual IrishFest celebration, which has been held since 2012 to raise money for Topeka's Mater Dei Catholic Parish.
Admission will be free to IrishFest, which begins at 10 a.m. at Evergy Plaza, 620 S. Kansas Ave., said Mary Tritsch, spokeswoman for the event. This will be IrishFest's third year at that site.
Items available for purchase will include Irish food, American food, soft drinks and beer.
Beverages available will include craft beer from one of the event's sponsors, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant.
Guests will also be able to take part in a whiskey tasting, Tritsch said. IrishFest has done away with its prior practice of requiring participants to sign up to sample whiskey at a specific time, she said.
"Just let us know what you want to taste, and we'll take it from there," Tritsch said.
Prices will vary on the types and brands of whiskey, she said.
IrishFest will feature live music by Donknado at 10 a.m. and Carswell & Hope at 12:30 p.m., Tritsch said.
There will also be "games, vendors and the perfect place to watch the parade and hang out with family and friends," she said.
Free parking will be available in the Quincy Parking Garage at 723 S.E. Quincy, Tritsch said.
Who will the grand marshal be?
The grand marshal for Saturday's parade will be Carol Tenpenny, a longtime member of the Irish Club of Topeka, Sheehy said.
Tenpenny ran fundraising golf tournaments held by that club for 17 years, until 2019, he said.
Tenpenny helped raise more than $40,000 to donate to local charities, Sheehy said.
Safety a key concern
In the wake of last month's mass shooting at a Kansas City Chiefs' victory celebration, Topeka city officials are taking special care to ensure that Saturday's activities will be safe, Mayor Mike Padilla said.
He made that announcement in late February at the news conference he holds monthly with interim city manager Richard U. Neinstedt.
Gunshots struck more than two dozen people, killing one, when a dispute broke out at the tail end of a parade and rally held Feb. 14 in Kansas City, Mo., to celebrate the Chiefs' victory three days earlier in the Super Bowl.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Downtown Topeka to host annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday
