‘Everybody’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day’: Thousands celebrate at San Diego parade

A week of rainy weather, reminiscent of the Emerald Isle, set the stage for San Diego’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Balboa Park on Saturday. Thousands of people dawned green at the 43rd annual Irish festival and embraced the warm sun.

Muddy grass smooshed under the feet of attendees milling about the festival grounds, some carrying beers and bratwurst while others shuffled over to a stage to watch local Irish dance students tap and leap in sync.

John Hyatt, a spokesperson for the Irish Congress of Southern California who organized the event, said the all-day celebration, which ran from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., was completely put together by volunteers. The theme of this year’s festival was “Celebrating Irish Businesses.”

The one-day festival on Saturday offered an outlet for people to share Irish culture and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day whether they have Irish heritage or not. 

“I hope what (people) take away from the event is a feeling of hospitality that we’re known for in the Irish community,” Hyatt said.

Fifth Avenue was lined with families cheering on the bands of bagpipes played by the local firefighters marching in the parade, as well as the “Friendly Sons of St. Patrick” singing Irish folk songs, while some of the kilted men smoked cigars as they walked.

In addition to the show of local Irish dance troupes and community organizations, the parade also showcased other cultural groups in the parade. A woman adorned in shamrock necklaces waved a giant Mexican flag. She was followed by young girls in vibrant ballet folklórico skirts fanning the asphalt.

“Everybody’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day,” said Bay Park resident Nancy O’Hanlon, who was sporting sparkly shamrock glasses.

She’s been coming to the San Diego St. Patrick’s Day parade since the mid-1980s — the first one was held in March 1981. O’Hanlon said she enjoys celebrating her Irish heritage with friends each year and showing support to so many different communities in San Diego.

Joe and Laura Little drove about three-and-a-half hours from Edwards Air Force Base in Antelope Valley to attend Saturday’s parade. The couple said it’s important for them to share Irish culture with their sons, Noah and Seth. Plus, it was a fun reason to visit family in the area, including Joe’s 97-year-old, Irish American great aunt Mee.

Joe Little, who was wearing the Irish flag tied around his neck like a cape, said a family trip to Ireland is on their bucket list. For now, they were excited to experience the drums, bagpipes and Irish culture at the San Diego parade.

Cathy Ward, executive director of the Irish Outreach Center, said the parade’s emphasis on Irish businesses is important because it’s one way to give back to the community. She moved to San Diego in 1989 from County Wicklow after seeing a picture of it in a newspaper — at the time, she’d never even heard of the place she now calls home. 

As the head of the Irish Outreach Center, Ward helps connect San Diegans to their Irish heritage with resources such as passport services, local events and group trips to Ireland. For Irish newcomers, they extend their signature hospitality to get people settled into a completely new environment.

“It’s a soft landing,” she said. “Hundreds of Irish students come every summer to work seasonal jobs … so we invite them in and give them a little welcome.”

That welcoming connection made all the difference for Grainne McGuire, who came to San Diego a decade ago from County Mayo in Ireland. She got plugged into the local community right away and joined an Irish sports league, playing Gaelic football and Camogie.

Ultimately, that led her to found a business called Kiana Sportswear in 2023 alongside her teammate Sophie Grego, making athletic gear for female athletes playing traditional Irish sports. The two women credit the local community for supporting their aspiration and getting their name out there.

“We wouldn’t be a business unless we had the Irish community around us,” said Grego, who was attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade for the first time.

Originally Published: March 15, 2025 at 7:15 PM PDT