HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will join beloved star Valerie Bertinelli and official parade starter hip-hop legend Flavor Flav on March 17 for their 10th appearance in the First Ever 22nd Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade® in Hot Springs.
“The Cowboys Cheerleaders have become a standard part of our wonderful little parade since they delighted fans in 2013,” Visit Hot Springs CEO and parade founder Steve Arrison said. “The fans love them and the Cheerleaders have told us they look forward every year to their trip to Hot Springs to join in the zany fun that engulfs 98-foot Bridge Street. We can’t wait to welcome them back.”
The parade celebration will begin Sunday evening, March 16, with a free public concert on Bridge Street by the legendary rock band Grand Funk Railroad. Another free concert, featuring the tribute band The Molly Ringwalds, will commence immediately after the parade on Monday, March 17.
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 Arrison and 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 and now, Arrison said, 30,006 people are expected to gather in downtown Hot Springs for this year’s parade.
It annually features a lineup of outrageous wackiness that includes a troupe of Marching Irish Elvis Impersonators, the World’s Largest Leprechaun, zany floats and marching units, plus a surprise or two.
For more information contact Steve Arrison at 501-321-2027.