Photos by Gary LeVielle
Grand Marshal, judges, announcers, sponsors, musicians, volunteers announced
This year is the 423rd anniversary of the first St. Patrick Day celebration in America. In 1601, the historic procession was held in St. Augustine, Florida as an authentic center of Celtic-American culture and led by St. Augustine’s Irish vicar, Father Ricardo Artur.
The St. Augustine event pre-dates Boston’s claim to the first St. Patrick’s celebration in 1737 and New York City’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1762.
The St. Patrick Parade, produced by Romanza-St. Augustine, Inc., returns at 10 AM Saturday, March 11 at Francis Field and follows a three-mile route through historic downtown and
culminates at the St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival on Francis Field, 25 W. Castillo Drive in St. Augustine, Florida.
The Celtic Festival is a two-day celebration of St. Augustine’s Celtic history. For more information, visit www.celticstaugustine.com
The parade will include numerous live bands, floats, marching units, dancers, horses, carriages,
tour trains, trolleys, and more, along the parade route.
The parade will also feature the City of St. Augustine Pipe Band, Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums, JFRD Pipes & Drums, and special guests The Colonial Navy of Massachusetts Fife and Drum Corps.
The 2023 Parade Grand Marshal is Pie in the Sky Community Alliance of St. Johns County.
Pie in the Sky volunteers deliver produce to hundreds of low-income seniors and began as a
small, grassroots program in Hastings, Florida in the summer of 2009. The nonprofit provides
services for elderly residents in need.
The Parade reviewing stand will be located and hosted by Ann O’Malley’s Irish Pub at
23 Orange Street in St. Augustine.
The Parade announcer will be Jessica Clark, award-winning journalist and First Coast News, WTLV-TV news anchor, who has covered St. Augustine and St. Johns County since 2005.
This year’s Parade judges include Jeff Valin, National Training Coordinator for Historic Tours of America and former First Coast News anchor; Amy Hendrickson, award-winning acoustic solo songwriter and vocalist who has toured regionally and nationally; Davey Hartzel, co-host for The 904 NOW, a local news source reporting in St. Johns County; Renee Unsworth, social media manager and founder of Totallystaugustine.com; and Dr. Roger Smith, historian
with the St. Augustine Historical Society, history professor at Flagler College, and Director of
the St. Augustine History Festival.
Storm troopers wearing kilts at the St. Augustine St. Patrick’s Parade!
On Saturday, March 11 from 8 AM to 11 PM, free shuttle transportation and parking for the
Parade and the Celtic Festival will be available. For shuttle locations and parking, visit the
website at www.celticstaugustine.com/directions. For more information about the Parade festivities and route, visit www.celticstaugustine.com/parade
Romanza is the nonprofit organization that produces the St. Patrick Parade, the Celtic Festival
and Romanza Festivale. Its events are funded in part by the St. Johns County Tourist
Development Council, St. Johns Cultural Council, Florida Department of State Division of
Cultural Affairs, and Florida Council on Arts and Culture. surprise
