Parade History
How it Began:
Three men sat at Sullivan’s Bar in downtown Denver. The year was 1961. They had been friends for a long time. After work and before they started their journey home, they would meet at Sullivan’s for a “wee” one and an hour or so of camaraderie.

After a few swallows, one of the men reached into his pocket and brought forth a small American flag which he proudly displayed for everyone to see. Like a signal, the three men rose from their stools and headed for the door. Crossing to the middle of the street, they formed a single line. The first man lined up on the right, the second on the left and the third man in the middle holding the small American flag in front of him. By this time all of the customers of Sullivan’s were standing in front of the bar watching the three men as they marched down the street. As they rounded the corner the crowd on the sidelines loudly cheered. The three men were Pocky Marranzino, columnist for the Rocky Mountain News, Red Fenwick, columnist for the Denver Post and holding the flag, Jim Eakins, Interstate Probation and Parole Supervisor.

This was our beginning.

(credited: “A Piece of Denver History” by Lynn M. LaGrange and Pocky Marranzino.)

History of the Parade
In 1962, on a cold windy day, one lone truck became the first float. The float arrived at the parade site, minus most of the green carnations that had been so carefully placed the evening before, only to find that the wind had blown carnations as far as Capitol Hill. The Jr. Police Band, the Drum and Bugle Corp, and several local schoolchildren made up the parade with no more than 500 participants. A few local dignitaries stood on the side lines with very few spectators.

The following years brought more interest, more participants and more spectators. Many joined the ranks of Grand Marshal: The Lord Mayor of Ireland, Larry Hagman, Hugh O’Brien, Denver’s own Mayors Bill McNichols and John Hickenlooper, Tom Sutherland, Michael Martin Murphy, Mickey Mouse, Dan Reeves and Dan Issel, to name a few. The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade bears the reputation as the largest parade west of the Mississippi River and one of the largest in the United States. Over 230 individual units mass together in a parade of 10,000 plus participants. Winding through the streets of Lower Downtown Denver on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, over 200,000 spectators enjoy a three hour plus parade.

Past Parade Themes:

Past Winners:

Parade Info:

• Grand Marshal
• Queen Colleen
• Parade Route
• Slide Show
• History
• St. Patrick

Copyright © 2009 Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, Inc. . All Rights Reserved.