Beverly Native Grace McKee Named 2025 South Side Irish Parade Queen

CHICAGO – A Beverly native whose family has played a pivotal role in the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade since its founding will now grace the parade as the 2025 queen.

Grace McKee was one of twelve contestants competing for the title. Her selection was announced during Saturday’s pre-parade at 115 Bourbon Street.

McKee was raised in the Beverly neighborhood and is a member of the McKee family, known for their multi-generational association with the Chicago Stockyard Kilty Band. The drum and pipe band has been part of the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade since the “Wee Folks of Washtenaw and Talman” began in 1979. McKee’s papa (grandfather), the late Dave McKee Sr. was Pipe Major for more than 28 years, recruiting his four sons Dave Jr., Daniel, Mathew and Luke to the band. Grace also joined the family tradition and played tenor drums until 8th grade.

“My papa, absolutely, looked forward to the South Side Irish Parade every year. As a member of Stockyard Kilty, I fondly remember just before stepping off, he would adjust my Glengarry bonnet as I somehow never managed to put it on quite right,” ]McKee recalled of her grandfather. “I am honored to represent the Parade as Queen this year. In memory of my papa, I hope to build on his love of this celebration and family and hope it brings even more magic to my family and the South Side Irish community,” she adds.

The McKee family tradition continues with Matt McKee, now pipe major and Grace’s father, Dave McKee Jr. as drum sergeant for the now 104-year-old band. It is one of the oldest continuously running pipe bands in the United States.

McKee holds a bachelor's in aviation management from Southern Illinois University and a master's in aviation and aerospace sustainability from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is currently employed as a senior consultant at Ricando in Chicago.

McKee is an active volunteer for Make A Wish Foundation Illinois helping to make wishes happen for children with critical illnesses. She has also been active with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital helping out at fundraising events and also ran a marathon to raise funds to support the cause.

McKee was one of twelve candidates who took part in the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Queen selection process. The parade queen candidates were interviewed individually by a panel of independent judges including Kelly Burke, mayor of Evergreen Park; Morgan Winters and Nikki Harrington, Lemonade Clothing Company; Margaret McGann, 2023 South Side Irish Parade Queen and Shannon Zofki, 2017 South Side Irish Parade Queen. Mary Kate Barron, the 2024 South Side Parade Queen, passed on the crown to McKee.

“Grace has such strong roots to the South Side Irish Parade and the South Side Irish community and truly holds the parade in a special place in her heart,” said Mary Kay Gavin-Marmo, executive director of the Professional Irish Women of Chicago and director of the South Side Irish Parade Queen Contest. “We are thrilled to have her serve as this year’s Parade Queen.”

The 47th South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at noon on Sunday, March 16 led by the Grand Marshal, Big Shoulders Fund that that funds schools with demonstrated need. Big Shoulders provides a quality, values-based education for Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s children. Over 25,000 across 72 Chicago area schools and 20 Northwest Indiana schools are currently served by Big Shoulders.

The designated parade honoree will be the Mount Sion program of Brother Rice High School, that a special education inclusion program designed to meet the unique needs of students with moderate cognitive disabilities or significant learning disabilities.

The parade will feature 100 entries including multiple pipe and drum bands, Irish dancers, a variety of marching bands, festive floats, Irish folk music, area parishes and schools, youth athletic teams, Irish family clans, non-profit organizations, small businesses and more.