History
Appropriately enough, the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade history begins with an Arkansan of Irish descent sharing a few pints of malted beverage with some friends. As the pub where they had gathered was situated on the World’s Shortest Street in Everyday Use — Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas’, Bridge Street, the conversation evolved into a question of how to use Bridge Street’s 98-foot length to attract visitors to Hot Springs.
Naturally, it was the Irish descendant who suggested organizing the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade on the street.
That was 2003, and The First Ever First Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held on March 17, 2004 and it made St. Patrick's Day Parade history. A few thousand people gathered for fun and frivolity in the heart of America’s First Resort and it became a St. Patrick's Day tradition in Hot Springs.
![First Ever 14th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade First Ever 14th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/StPatsCrew.jpg?fit=615%2C350&ssl=1)
After the first parade attracted national attention, a couple of other groups maintained that they had shorter parades. Research showed that one of the challengers wasn’t so much a parade as a bunch of people wandering around in a city park. The Hot Springs parade organizers notified the second challenger that the title would remain in Hot Springs even if the Arkansas Parade participants had to march in place — or even march backwards — to keep its designation as World’s Shortest.
In the interim, many things have been added to the parade and the crowd has grown to more than 30,000 fun-lovers.
The Arkansas Blarney Stone, reportedly discovered by a leprechaun in the forests that surround Hot Springs, was placed on display in front of the Hot Springs Convention Center in 2006, and is now the scene of the annual Blarney Stone-kissing contests known as Romancing the Stone.
In 2008, a Parade King and Queen were chosen by a secret committee of the original parade organizers, and that has now become an annual St. Patrick's Day tradition in Hot Springs.
Grand Marshals
![Emmitt Smith 2024](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Emmitt-Smith.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1)
Emmitt Smith 2024
![JUSTIN MOORE 2023](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/JM-23.jpg?fit=910%2C910&ssl=1)
JUSTIN MOORE 2023
![CHEECH MARIN 2022](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/277221635_1404731983321762_6771851626963151162_n.jpg?fit=910%2C910&ssl=1)
CHEECH MARIN 2022
![POP-UP 2021](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-1400-03-18-at-12.21.13-e1623173363256.png?fit=959%2C959&ssl=1)
POP-UP 2021
![PARTY OF ONE 2020](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1.jpg?fit=960%2C960&ssl=1)
PARTY OF ONE 2020
![RALPH MACCHIO 2019 Ralph Macchio 2019 Shortest St. Pats Grand Marshall | Hot Springs, AR](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ralph-Machio.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1)
RALPH MACCHIO 2019
![JOEY FATONE 2018 Joey Fatone](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/JF.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1)
JOEY FATONE 2018
![ALFONSO RIBEIRO 2017](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ALFONSO-RIBEIRO-2017.jpg?fit=581%2C581&ssl=1)
ALFONSO RIBEIRO 2017
![Kevin Bacon 2016](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/800_17671-e1481418938975.jpg?fit=581%2C581&ssl=1)
Kevin Bacon 2016
![Mark Martin 2015](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Worlds_Shortest_St_Patricks_Day_Parade_HotSprings_2015_165_zc-e1481419130210.jpg?fit=590%2C580&ssl=1)
Mark Martin 2015
![Jim Belushi 2014 Grand Marshal Jim Belushi](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/GEN7987A-e1481419293934.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Jim Belushi 2014
![Bo Derek & John Corbett 2013 Bo Derek & John Corbett, 2013](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Derek-Corbert.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Bo Derek & John Corbett 2013
![Tim Matheson 2012](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC_0997-e1481419633131.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Tim Matheson 2012
![John Corbett 2011](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC_5805-e1481419730471.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
John Corbett 2011
![Bo Derek 2010](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/hst.13.parade.bo2_-e1481419826801.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Bo Derek 2010
![John Ratzenberger 2009](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/john-ratzenberger.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
John Ratzenberger 2009
![Mike Rowe 2008](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Mike-Rowe.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Mike Rowe 2008
![Mario Lopez 2007](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Mario-Lopez.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Mario Lopez 2007
![Pauley Shore 2006](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Paulie-Shore.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Pauley Shore 2006
![George Wendt 2005](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/George-Wendt.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
George Wendt 2005
![Bob Wheeler 2004](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Bob-Wheeler.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Bob Wheeler 2004
![Dick Kelley 2004](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Dick-Kelley.jpg?fit=580%2C580&ssl=1)
Dick Kelley 2004
Parade Starters
![Forrie J. Smith 2024](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forrie-J.-Smith.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1)
Forrie J. Smith 2024
![CHRIS MCDONALD 2023](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CM-23.jpg?fit=910%2C910&ssl=1)
CHRIS MCDONALD 2023
![DANNY TREJO 2022](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/277226704_1404731993321761_9168327718200745660_n.jpg?fit=910%2C910&ssl=1)
DANNY TREJO 2022
![TWITCH 2019](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019_tWitch.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)
TWITCH 2019
![JON HEDER 2018](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018_Jon-Heder.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)
JON HEDER 2018
![RIC FLAIR 2017](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2017_Ric-Flair.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)
RIC FLAIR 2017
![GARY BUSEY 2016](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2016_Gary-Busey.jpg?fit=486%2C486&ssl=1)
GARY BUSEY 2016
![THE SWON BROTHERS 2015](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2015_The-Swon-Brothers.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)
THE SWON BROTHERS 2015
![MOUNTAIN MAN 2014](https://i0.wp.com/shorteststpats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2014_Mountain-Man.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1)