ENTERTAINMENT

Go green for OC's 36th St. Patrick's Day Parade

RACHEL TAYLOR
DELMARVANOW CORRESPONDENT

Mike Soper, of Perry Hall, Md., throws beads to the crowds along Coastal Highway during the Ocean City St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2013. This year's parade will be March 12, 2017.

Break out your shamrocks and bagpipes for the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ocean City.

The festivities begin early and continue throughout the day giving people a chance to deck themselves out in green and gold and celebrate Irish traditions.

For the past 36 years this parade has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and the many generations of Irish Americans in the mid-Atlantic region.

This year to kick off the parade, southern rock band No Tell Motel will be jamming out at the beginning of the parade route. They will continue to play throughout the parade as they join the Surfriders Foundation on their float.

READ MORE: Area Catholics given OK for St. Paddy's Day corned beef​

The parade, sponsored by the Delmarva Irish American Club, will begin on 58th Street in Ocean City and travel down Coastal Highway to 45th Street where the festivities will continue. With more than 100 entries from three different states, everyone from local celebrities to marching bands and other performers will be on display

From left, Joe Castellano of Reading, Pa., Guy Landis of Kutztown, Pa., Chris Raymond of Leesport, Pa. and Anthony Castellano, 9, of Reading, Pa., enjoy the Irish Festival at the 45th Street Village. The event is part of the Ocean City St. Patrick's Day parade, which will be held this year on March 12.

At the Irish-America Festival at 45th Street Village Shopping Center, food, drinks and  fun are guaranteed at the end of the parade route. This is an event for the whole family as they can enjoy live entertainment, dancing and face painting.

Those who are there to enjoy the end of the parade entertainment will also get to see the floats and entertainers who win in categories, such as, best commercial float, best marching band, best youth marching unit and best overall entry.

For those who can’t make it to the parade but still want to join in on the festivities, the parade will be broadcast live for the second year in a row on WRDE.

IF YOU GO

St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival

When: March 11 parade begins at noon

Where: 58th Street to 45th Street

Info: 410-289-6156