First Ever 20th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade
Location: Bridge Street
Event Date: Friday, March 17
The First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on March 17, 2023 on the world’s shortest street in everyday operational use, Bridge Street! This parade may only be 98 feet long, but you better believe it’s filled with all the fun and Irish spirit!
The First Ever 20th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade will feature live music by the iconic Village People, performing a FREE public concert on March 18, the day after our famous little parade! We are also pleased to announce that The Molly Ringwalds will rock the night at the FREE public concert immediately following the parade on St. Patrick’s Day! That's not all, the Parade Starter for this years parade is none other than Christpoher McDonald - known for his nefarious role as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore. Stay tuned for even more information!
Parade Starter - Christopher McDonald
Who better to fire the starter’s pistol for the First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade than Shooter McGavin from the iconic “Happy Gilmore” movie?
Christopher McDonald, who played the nefarious Shooter in the Adam Sandler classic, will be the Official Starter for the 20th edition of the crazy little parade on 98-foot Bridge Street March 17 in downtown Hot Springs. He was nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for his role opposite Jean Smart in HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated comedy-drama “Hacks.”
“Christopher McDonald is immediately recognizable to fans through his many appearances in television, movies and on the stage,” Visit Hot Springs CEO and parade founder Steve Arrison said. “He’ll be a great addition to our parade as we celebrate 20 years of fun and hilarity for our city.” McDonald is famous for his roles in addition to “Happy Gilmore.” They include “Thelma and Louise,” Quiz Show,” “The Perfect Storm,” “The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Bronx Is Burning” and others.
Grand Marshal - Justin Moore
Arkansas’s own country music superstar Justin Moore will be the celebrity grand marshal of the First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade on 98-foot Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs.
“All of us here in Hot Springs consider Justin almost a hometown boy since his hometown of Poyen is only a couple of miles down the road on Highway 270,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said in announcing Moore’s selection. “He’ll be a great grand marshal as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our huge little parade.”
“And while he won’t be performing as part of the celebration, he will be having a great time meeting some of his biggest fans who have come to see him in the parade,” Arrison added.
Two FREE Concerts!
Macho, Macho Man! We're throwing it back to the 70's with Village People, performing a FREE live concert the day after the parade, on Saturday, March 18! Directly after the parade on Friday, March 17, The Molly Ringwalds take the stage for a FREE live concert.
“There’s no more iconic band from the ‘70s era than Village People,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said this week. “They’ll bring an added level of fun and entertainment to Hot Springs on the evening following the parade. I’ll personally guarantee a fun time for everyone who comes back on down to Bridge Street on March 18 to do the ‘Y.M.C.A’ song with the band.
“With six months to go, we’re also announcing that The Molly Ringwalds band, which was such a hit at the Memorial Day festivities at the Hot Springs Airport, will be back in town to entertain at a free public concert immediately after the parade on St. Patrick’s Day. We were flooded with calls asking us to bring them back to town for the parade. They knocked the Memorial Day crowd out with incredible cover versions of memorable tunes from the 1980s, so we decided to bring them back for the 20th anniversary of the parade.”
For more information on the First Ever 20th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, visit shorteststpats.com, call 501-321-2277 or email ahampo@hotsprings.org.