Parade, Good Luck Charms, And All Things Green To Add A Bit O’ Fun For St. Paddy’s Day On March 15
by Glen Richardson
Irish Trek: Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, floats, and half a million people are expected for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 15 starting at Wynkoop St. and 19th Ave.
Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, and floats, the Mile High City becomes Dublin for a day as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a wee bit early parade on Saturday, March 15. The actual holiday is Monday, March 17.
With green and glee, the parade has been running for more than 60 years. Nearly half a million people are expected to attend this year. The city paints a green strip down the parade path on Blake Street. Signage on the street is annually changed to Tooley Street in honor of Dale Tooley, Denver’s district attorney in the 1970s and 1980s.
The parade begins at the corner of 19th and Wynkoop, turns left on 17th Street to Blake St. then marches east on Blake and ends at 27th and Blake at the Coors Field parking lot. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will fill the streets of Denver on March 15th rain or shine.
Grand Marshal
Luck O’ The Irish: Wishing you all the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day. A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find, and lucky to have.
The 2025 Grand Marshal is Lisa Switzer! Lisa has been a Denver community member since xxxx and has had a storied career in the nonprofit world. From business development and operations to C-Level strategic planning, her roles have one common thread – they are all mission-based supporting people and communities.
Presenting Sponsor
The parade is organized by volunteers formed and incorporated in 1986 as the Denver St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. The committee is a charitable organization whose members have a deep love for the Irish culture and enjoy sharing that sense of pride with Valley residents.
While people often assume the parade is presented by the City of Denver, this is the 19th year that Bellco Credit Union has been the parade’s presenting sponsor. Created in 1936, Bellco Credit Union has more than 368,000 members and over $8 billion in assets.
“The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade represents a strong sense of community for us, and we’re proud to be a part of it.” says Senior Vice President & Chief Retail Officer John Rivera.
Viewing, Weather
Protein Pie: Originating from Ireland and England, Shepherd’s Pie with minced lamb or mutton is on the menu of most Irish Pubs. Pies with beef are called cottage pies.
To catch the parade’s full performances — including dancing, music sets, etc. — the best spot is generally considered to be south of 20th Ave. on Blake St., which is also the most crowded with attendees arriving as early as 6 a.m. to stake out a spot.
If you hope to avoid larger crowds, a great place for prime viewing is at the end of the parade on Blake St. from 23rd to 27th Avenues.
Remember this is March — the 5th coldest month of the year in Denver — and weather is unpredictable. Temperatures begin the month with a normal low of 22 degrees and high of 50 degrees. The month ends with 30-degree low temps and highs at about 58 degrees.
Runnin’ O’ The Green
To stay in shape to run through the weekend’s Irish activities, participate in this year’s Runnin’ O’ The Green March 9 at Wash Park. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.
The 7K “Lucky 7” kicks off at 10 a.m. followed by the 2-mile “Leprechaun Leap” run-walk at 10:05 a.m.
Don’t run away, there’s a day filled with Irish fun, live music, and awards. A post-race Festival-Expo features Irish music & dancers. The event also includes a Beer Garden.
Classic Celtic Music
Music during St. Patrick’s Day this year in Denver features Celtic groups, acoustic bands, and Irish music bands. This year’s St. Paddy’s Parade (2025) is featuring several bands, including the Michael Collins Pipes & Drums, Nerea the Fiddler, Altan, and The Young Dubliners.
Young Dubs: Irish-American rock band The Young Dubliners entertain at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m.
Irish-American rock band The Young Dubliners entertain at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m. They’re followed March 9 by the traditional Irish band Altan playing at Lone Tree Arts Center, 7 p.m. Another must-see is jigs and reels band Gobs O’ Phun playing at Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theater on March 15, 8 p.m.
An additional St. Paddy’s Day highlight not to be missed is Celtic Awakening playing at the Newman Center March 15-16, 2:30 p.m. Irish tenor soloist Todd Teske entertains. Or, on a St. Paddy’s weekend evening, dress in green, white, and orange and dance a jig at Fortissimo Dueling Pianos on 14th St.
Irish Pub Grub
Yearning for a taste of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year?
Send Family Over: The Irish Rover along South Broadway in the Historic Baker district is among the top traditional Irish Pubs remaining in Denver.
Denver’s Irish pubs — the traditional haunts for Irish cuisine and beer — continue to decline in numbers or maybe simply morphing into a different era. There are just a wee bit more than a dozen remaining in the Mile High City and several have closed their kitchens. Two of the largest — Fado across from Coors Field, and Maggie Smith’s in Centennial closed. Clancy’s Irish Pub — the Valley’s oldest and longest running Pub — relocated to Wheat Ridge.
Restaurants that offered holiday choices such as corned beef & cabbage on St. Paddy’s Day are also mostly gone. Cherry Creek North’s Cherry Cricket, nonetheless, still offers Corned Beef & Cabbage with Guinness or green beer. Glendale doesn’t have an Irish Pub. Bull & Bush is an English Pub, but it does serve pub classics like fish and chips.
For family dining, the Abby Tavern on East Colfax is easily the best choice. Owner Glen Eastwood spent more than 10 years managing Pubs (Fado & Chasey’s Bistro & Pub). Irish choices include fish & chips, Shepherd’s Pie, an Irish breakfast, plus a Reuben sandwich. Moreover, there are also plenty of American options including burgers.
Among the more traditional Irish Pubs, the two along South Broadway in the historic Baker district are good choices. The Irish Rover has tacos, burgers, and pizza for the kids in addition to fish & chips and shepherd’s pie. Just off Broadway on E. Ellsworth Ave., Dougherty’s Pub — with one of the best pub kitchens in town — boasts authentic Irish cuisine such as Belfast Chicken, Bangers & Mash, and Denver’s best Shepherd’s Pie. They also annually host one of the best St Patrick’s Day street-parties in Denver.
