CHICAGO — The 2024 South Side Irish Parade is this Sunday, March 17. This is the parade’s 46th promenade down Western Avenue. We’ve gathered the parade highlights, weather forecast, historical context and pretty much anything else you’ll need or want to know before you head out to the parade. Follow our guide below and have a great Parade Day.
The Details
WHEN: Noon, Sunday, March 17
The parade steps off at noon Sunday from 103rd Street and Western Avenue. The parade lasts approximately two hours.
WHERE: Steps off from 103rd and Western Avenue, traveling south to 115th and Western Avenue, through Chicago’s Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods.
Getting There
Driving is not recommended as parking will be limited. If you are in the area, it’s best to walk. Metra’s Rock Island Line 103rd Street/Beverly Hills and 111th Street/Morgan Park stations are within walking distance of the parade route down Western Avenue. Details about train service are available on Metra.
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Street Closures
Western Avenue will be closed between 99th Street and south of 115th Street beginning as early as 9 a.m. Cross streets 103rd and 111th are also likely to be closed near Western, possibly as far west as Kedzie and as east as Longwood. Side streets near Western between 99th and 115th may also be closed as early as 9 a.m. as the crowds gather.
The traffic restrictions are expected to be lifted by 3 p.m.
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Parking Restrictions
Beginning at 6 a.m., there will be no street parking allowed on Western Avenue from 99th St. to 119th St. Beginning at 8 a.m., no street parking is allowed on the east side of Artesian from 103rd to 111th.There will be no parking on Claremont west side of street from 103rd to 107th. Expect traffic to be restricted on Western Avenue and surrounding side streets beginning at 9 a.m. On all east/west streets leading to Western Ave. between 103rd and 115th, expect portions of the street to be closed within 75 feet of Western Avenue or between the first alleyway and Western Avenue. The traffic restrictions are expected to be lifted by 3:00 p.m. The Parade Committee encourages everyone to pay attention to signs in the area.
Parking restrictions are expected to be lifted by 3 p.m. The Parade Committee encourages everyone to pay attention to signs in the area.
Zero-Tolerance!!!
The parade had a two-year hiatus earlier this decade after rowdy crowds and heavy drinking put a damper on the family event. When the parade returned, it was with a strict no drinking policy. Police and private security personnel will be out in full force, stopping anyone with alcohol. You will also be banned from having alcohol on the Rock Island Metra before the parade.
If you’re caught with open alcohol, fines of up to $1,000 for open containers of alcohol may be imposed. Security checkpoints staffed by private security and the Chicago Police Department will be surrounding the parade route. Also, anyone who witnesses a crime or encounters drunk behavior during the parade should call 911.
Comfort Stop
Beverly Evangelical Covenant Church, 10545 S. Claremont Ave., will open starting at 11:30 until approximately one hour after the parade ends. Visitors are welcome to use the bathrooms, enjoy a free snack, feed and change infants, or take a break from the weather. A worship service will be held at 9:30 am.
Grand Marshal
This year’s grand marshal honors Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. RMHC exists so that families can get better together. Each night, RMHC keeps 181 families close to the care and resources they need through six area Ronald McDonald Houses and four Ronald McDonald Family Rooms. Enabling families to stay close to their hospitalized child supports the health and well-being of the child and saves families more than $9 million in hotel and food costs each year. Ronald McDonald houses are located inside or near Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital, Loyola University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Edward Hospital in Naperville and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. The charity also operates the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program, providing medical care to children in underserved areas. Connect with RMHC-CNI on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Parade Honoree
Smith Village is the parade honoree and the first honoree actually located on the parade route. Celebrating 100 years serving senior residents, will be represented by Kevin McKee, president and CEO, Smith Senior Living, Marti Jatis, executive director, Smith Village, and residents of Smith Village.
Smith Village, the only life plan community on Chicago’s Southwest Side, originally opened in 1924 and has operated continuously since then serving older adults on the same city block it has always occupied in the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood. Settings at the not-for-profit community range from independent living apartments to assisted living and memory care residences, plus short-term stay rehab suites and skilled nursing care rooms. The campus features a broad array of common areas including venues for dining, entertainment, lifelong learning and wellness programs. For more information about Smith Village, call 773-474-7300 or visit Smith Village.
Parade Queen
Beverly native Mary Kate Barron will be riding in the parade as the 2024 queen.
“I have had an opportunity to grow up in Beverly on Chicago’s Southwest side and also live in County Kerry, County Clare and County Mayo Ireland,” Barron said. “My Irish heritage has shaped me to be the woman I am today and am honored to represent the South Side St. Patrick’s Day Parade as the 2024 Queen.”
Parade History
This year’s event will mark the 46th South Side Irish Parade. The parade started in 1979 when a group of neighborhood kids and their families marched around the block in little buggies and with homemade posters. Even in 2020, when the city canceled the larger event at the beginning of the pandemic, the “Wee Folks of Washtenaw and Talman,” marched down the sidewalk on the east side of Western Avenue, keeping the parade’s streak going.
Parade Highlights Sights and Sounds:
Schedule Of Events
Parade Sponsors
The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade is generously supported by local area businesses, including:
County Fair Foods
Old National Bank
Ozinga
Chicago Express Med Spa
The Beverly Review
Flood Brothers
Home Run Inn Beverly
Beverly Bank & Trust Company, N.A.
Chicago City Soccer Club
Hilton Chicago/Oak Lawn
OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center
Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park
Click Here: New Zealand Rugby ShopAthletex Physical Therapy
Marquette Bank
Midwest Care Clinics
The Busking Family
Raising Cane’s
JDog Hauling Oak Lawn and
South Side Irish Imports
Major sponsors:
Tullamore D.E.W., the official Irish Whiskey of the Parade; Lakeshore Beverage, NASCAR Chicago Street Race, Chicago White Sox, Roofers and Waterproofers Local 11, IUEC Local 2, IUPAT District 14, Plumbers Local 130, IBEW Local 134, IUOE Local 399, IUOE Local 150, Guinness, Bud Light, Green River, Flood Brothers, Union Life Insurance Company, ComEd, Megent Financial, Cook County North America Building Trades and more.
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