HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Cities like New York and Chicago boast some of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades, attracting thousands of revelers and plenty of green beer.
But a city in Arkansas has gained popularity over the years with its parade for an entirely different reason. The city of Hot Springs, a resort town known for its mineral-rich waters, promotes its 98-foot (30-meter) route as the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Thousands of people lined the streets Monday to watch the parade, which has been one of the city’s biggest draws for more than two decades. Over the years, the event has gained the attention of celebrities, and this year, actor Valerie Bertinelli and rap icon Flavor Flav participated.
Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said the idea began in 2003 when he and a group of friends were at a downtown restaurant “drinking adult beverages” and the topic of St. Patrick’s Day came up.
“We got to talking and said, well, why don’t we have a parade?” Arrison said.
The parade began the following year and drew about 1,500 people. More than 30,000 people watch the parade each year, organizers say.
For the world’s shortest, the parade packs in a lot. They’ll have 40 different floats, and participants included 100 members of a group of Elvis Presley impersonators known as the International Order of the Marching Irish Elvi.
Another float featured the local chapter of the International Society of Helen Ropers, with participants dressed up as the character from the 1970s sitcom, “Three’s Company.”
The parade has also featured a celebrity grand marshal and parade starter, and over the years has included familiar faces such as actor Kevin Bacon, “Cheers” star George Wendt and country music star Justin Moore. This year, Bertinelli was the grand marshal and Flav, the official starter.
“We’re not doing small stuff here. This is big,” Bertinelli said before the parade.
The parade even created its own green version of the signature clock necklace that Flav, a founding member of Public Enemy, is known for wearing. Flav, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, danced along the route, enthusiastically greeting parade watchers.
“I can have fun in a five-foot parade. Ninety-eight feet gives me a little bit more time to have more fun,” Flav, said before the parade.
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who have participated in the parade for the past several years, sat in the back of cars and threw beads to crowds along the route.
The parade includes other events, including a concert and a “Blarney Stone kissing contest.” Before the parade kicked off there was an official measuring of the route to verify its shortness. A bugler from Oaklawn, a Hot Springs horse track and casino, marked the start.
“I’ve been to Chicago, I’ve been to Savannah, Georgia. I like this one better than any of them,” said Chuck Last, from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, who has gone to the past two parades.
Other parades have tried to lay claim to being the shortest in recent years, including two cities in New York that dueled over who had the shortest parade. Another 78-pace parade was planned in Bemidji, Minnesota, on Monday.
The Hot Springs parade’s organizers also keep up a feud with another parade in Adamsville, Rhode Island that claims its 89-foot (27-meter) route is the shortest. But Arrison dismisses their claim, noting that city’s parade is held on the day before St. Patrick’s Day.
Arrison also notes that the Hot Springs event has copyrighted the title “World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”