Stamford Ready for 21st Annual St. Patrick's Parade

STAMFORD, CT - Stamfordites will be wearin' the green on Saturday when the 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at noon on Saturday.

This year's parade has an extended route starting at the corner of North and Summer Streets, proceed south on Summer Street, then east to Atlantic Street and north on Bedford Street.

The parade will have about 80 marching units, bagpipe bands, and Irish step dancing troupes as well as perennial favorites including the Celtic Cross Pipe Band, the Greenwich Pipe Band and the popular Shriners driving their mini T-Bird cars. Stamford school bands also will be marching.

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There will be a Family Zone featuring face painting, Irish wolfhounds, the Bridgeport Bluefish Mascot will be located at the west corner of Atlantic and Broad streets.

Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court Andrew McDonald will serve as the 21st Grand Marshal. A Stamford native, McDonald attended Stamford public schools, graduated from Cornell University and received his law degree from UConn. He was appointed Associate Justice in 2013 after having served is the chief legal advisor to Gov. Dannel Malloy and his cabinet.

McDonald began his legal career in the Stamford office of Pullman and Comley, at the same time he began his years of public service to the city and the state. He served on the Stamford Board of Finance and the Board of Representatives before becoming Director of Legal Affairs and Corporation Counsel for then-Mayor Malloy. Following the example of his mother, the late CT Representative Ann McDonald, Andrew then set his sights on Hartford and was elected to the CT Senate, where he served for eight years and headed the Senate Judiciary Committee, before joining the governor’s Cabinet.

In addition to leading the parade, McDonald will be honored at the Grand Marshal’s dinner on Friday night at the Stamford Sheraton Hotel.

For more information, contact Michael Feighan at 203-614-9448 or email info@stamfordstpatricksdayparade.com

Photo credit: Barbara Heins.