Detroit’s St. Patrick’s Parade in Corktown

Celebrate the Irish holiday with this annual tradition on March 12, 2023.
1258
Detroit St. Patrick's Parade 2019 bagpipers
Bagpipers march in the 2019 Detroit St. Patrick's Parade in Corktown. // Photograph courtesy of Detroit St. Patrick's Parade.

Detroit’s annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition has announced that it will hit the streets of Corktown with tons of Irish-inspired fun on March 12, 2023.

Attendees of the 64th annual event can expect to see marching and pipe and drum bands, color guard units, floats, clowns, novelty groups, and more in the parade.

The event will also honor “hometown heroes:” Father Tim McCabe, SJ, the executive director of the Pope Francis Center in Detroit; Corporal Nickolas Zubok of the Dearborn Police Department; and SaTrice Coleman-Betts, the executive director of the St. Patrick’s Senior Center.  

Paul W. Smith of WJR AM-70 will be the parade emcee and Kevin Murphy — who owns Murphy’s Restaurant in Redford and is “deeply involved in the UIS and several Irish fraternal organizations, Irish music, his church and the Motor City Irish Fest” — will be this year’s Grand Marshal.

“I’m honored to share my love of Irish culture, music and heritage with metro Detroiters as Grand Marshal for this year’s Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade,” Murphy said in a press release. “This parade is a perfect time to celebrate Corktown, Detroit, and the exciting history and new energy in the Corktown area.”

Guests can also enjoy a Family Fun Zone, sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey, on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Sixth St. The family-friendly space will be open from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on parade day and will feature live Irish entertainment, coffee, donuts, water, and private restrooms. Tickets are $12 per person or $60 for six tickets.

The Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade is hosted by the United Irish Societies, a group of more than 35 local Irish organizations, and is sponsored by Kitch Attorneys & Counselors.

The parade begins at 1 p.m. and steps off near Sixth St. and Michigan Ave. before heading west on Michigan Ave. toward 14th St. It’s is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, attracting 80,000-100,000 people each year, and lasts about two hours.

For more information, visit detroitstpatricksparade.com.  

This post was originally published in 2022 and is updated annually.