Old Metairie St. Patrick's Day Parade
On Sunday, March 15, 2026, the St. Patrick's Parade of Jefferson will commence for its 55th year.
History
St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in New Orleans since 1809, as in influx of Irish immigrants arrived from Ireland. They became instrumental to the development of New Orleans' infrastructure, contributing invaluable labor to projects including the construction of levee systems to keep the city from flooding. Today, St. Patrick's Day parades celebrate the unique heritage and enduring legacy of the Irish in New Orleans. The Irish Channel parade started in 1947, on the heels on Mardi Gras, with about 300 people in attendance. Since then, attendance has swelled to the thousands, marking it as one of the city's most beloved cultural celebrations.
It was in 1971 that John Marchese and James Carrigan were inspired by the events in the Irish Channel and decided to bring a celebration to Metairie. The parade was envisioned as a family-friendly affair that captured the ebullient spirit of Carnival. It includes extravagant floats with unique throws, most notably the cabbages—symbolic of the reliance on cabbage by the Irish throughout the Potato Famine—and cheerful marching krewes. Originally outfitted with 62 units in total, the parade now hosts over 100 total units.
Route
Since its beginning, this parade has stayed on route, never wavering from their values and never changing their original route down Metairie Road.
Join this years' Grand Marshal Carl Wilt, as well as the army of parade goers. Starting at 11 a.m., at 41st Street and Severn, the parade will proceed down Severn, turning left onto Metairie Road. From there, the parade will take a left onto Focis Street and float down to Canal, where it will disband.
