If four were wonderful, and eight were spectacular then an even-dozen Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will be the ultimate in excitement when they participate in the First Ever 14th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hot Springs on March 17, 2017.
“The Cowboys Cheerleaders have become one of the crowd favorites at our zany little parade,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, the city’s convention and visitors bureau and sponsor of the annual internationally recognized celebration. “This year we are increasing the number of Cheerleaders to 12, up from eight last year and four each of the previous three years.”
“We don’t yet know who the 12 Cheerleaders will be for 2017,” Arrison said. “This will be the fifth year that the Cheerleaders have been a part of our event, and they have become a tradition at our event.
“Their enthusiasm perfectly matches the excitement that surrounds our little parade, and the crowd loves them.”
The 2017 parade will feature television star Alfonso Rebiero as the celebrity grand marshal and wrestling legend Ric Flair as the official starter. Musician Uncle Kracker will perform at a free public concert immediately following the parade.
The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade has brought worldwide attention to Hot Springs and helped expand the city’s reputation as a city that knows how to have fun.
It began in 2003 when some friends sharing an adult beverage came up with the idea of using nearby 98-foot-long Bridge Street as the location for some fun. Bridge Street was named by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the world’s shortest street in everyday use. The parade swiftly gained attention around the globe for the hilarious premise that gave birth to its annual aura of spectacular hilarity.
It annually features a lineup of outrageous wackiness that includes a troupe of Marching Irish Elvis Impersonators, green Irish wolfhounds, zany floats and marching units, plus a surprise or two.