HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Hot Springs’ World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade® was named the eighth best in the United States in the latest issue of Country Living magazine.
In an article titled “These Are the Best St. Patrick’s Day Events Across the Country,” the magazine had this to say about the Hot Springs event: “Don’t let the title ‘World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade®’ fool you — this town features a two-day celebration to honor the Irish! The party traditionally includes live music and is followed by the big (er, small?) event according to their Facebook page. Believe it or not, you might spot a few celebrities in Hot Springs. Joey Fatone, Kevin Bacon, Bo Derek, and John Corbett have all acted as Grand Marshals for the celebration.”
The article can be viewed here.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans and visitors won't be able to attend the First Ever 18th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade® on legendary Bridge Street in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas until March 17, 2022.
The parade scheduled for next month had to be canceled due to uncertainties surrounding the pandemic.
“Because of the public-health restrictions now in place, the parade committee decided not to have our customary 30,000 parade fans gather in downtown Hot Springs on St. Patrick’s Day this year,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said.
“The whole point of the parade is to have the downtown area full of people having the time of their lives along 98-foot-long Bridge Street,” Visit Hot Springs Marketing Director Bill Solleder said, “and the last thing we’d want to do is have a gigantic party where all our guests weren’t safe.”
“We’ll kick out the jams in 2022,” Arrison said, “and you can bet your green derby hat this little parade will be back bigger and more fun than ever. We’ll let everybody know the details for that parade starting in the spring of next year.”
The parade, founded in 2003, has gained international fame for attracting more than 30,000 fun-loving spectators to downtown Hot Springs to watch an array of celebrities, marchers, floats, strutters, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Irish Elvis impersonators, dancers, Irish wolfhounds, waddlers and leprechauns march down 98-foot-long Bridge Street, the World’s Shortest Street in Everyday Use, according to Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
For more information contact Steve Arrison at 501-321-2027.