SPOKANE, Wash. — Cities across the region are preparing for their annual St. Patrick’s Day parades this weekend, offering celebrations that welcome everyone, whether they’re Irish by blood or just Irish for the day.
The festivities begin Saturday with parades in both Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Spokane’s parade steps off at noon downtown at the intersection of Boone Avenue and Washington Street, followed by Coeur d’Alene’s parade at 3 p.m., starting at the intersection of Eighth Street and Sherman Avenue.
The Spokane County Firefighters Pipe and Drum Band will perform in the Spokane parade, continuing a tradition they’ve maintained since the band formed in 2010. Allen Wilkes, the band’s president, said the group spends hours preparing for the weekend throughout the year.
“We are a really big family, and we draw from so many of the other musicians in the area,” Wilkes said. “We are so excited to be a part of the parade and a thread of the community in Spokane.”
The band’s dedication extends beyond the parades themselves. After marching in the Spokane parade, the musicians will make rounds at local bars to continue sharing their music with the community.
“We are just happy to get out and share the joy of music,” Wilkes said.
Local businesses are also preparing for the influx of celebrants. Tim O’Doherty, owner of O’Doherty’s Irish Grill in Spokane, will kick off the day’s festivities with an early-morning tradition for dedicated customers who arrive by 9 a.m.
“Well, they can certainly expect a lot of company,” O’Doherty said when asked what people can expect at his establishment this weekend.
“Right before we open, I stand up on the monuments where the flags are, and I do a little speech,” O’Doherty said.
Both downtown parades promise to bring together community members and visitors for a day of Irish celebration, music, and local tradition in the Inland Northwest.
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