Leading roughly two dozen groups of leprechaun costume-wearers through a residential area near the heart of Soldotna are young musicians from the Soldotna High School and Skyview Middle School bands. Behind them, crowds of children, and adults, line the sidewalks and reach for the sky as candy is tossed from passing floats.
Soldotna has hosted the Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade for nearly 35 years. Mike Sweeney, owner of Sweeney’s Clothing in Soldotna, organized the first parade.
“First of all, I was Irish, and there was a bunch of us business guys that said, ‘You know, Sweeney, we should do an Irish parade,’" Sweeney said. "And I said ‘That’s not a bad idea.’”
The parade was later spearheaded by the Soldotna chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, then the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, which runs it today. It’s always been a low key celebration – those who want to march in it don’t have to sign up.
“It’s a very casual parade, but it always brings out a really fun crowd,” said Joe Spady, events manager at the Soldotna Chamber. “From a commerce side of things, I think it’s a really great opportunity for local businesses to step up and really show their fun, and relatable and silly side to the community.”
One of the businesses in the parade was Alaska C & C Horse Adventures, a Soldotna-based horseback riding company. Employees rode down the streets on their horses, which wore ice shoes and green scarves.
“[The horses are] always giving so much joy to the people on the sidelines," said Connie Green, owner of the company. "It’s really so fun to see the smiles.”
This year was also the first time bands from the high school and middle school have participated in the parade, as it’s normally held during the school district’s spring break. About a dozen kids performed this year.
Mark Jurek is the band director for both schools. He says the parade is special because it allows kids of different musical backgrounds to join forces.
“It’s fun to have the older kids and the younger kids get that mentoring sort of environment, and to play together and see the skills that the older kids have and then the skills the younger kids have, and kind of meld those two together,” Jurek said.
Despite below freezing temperatures and windy conditions, this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade brought out a few hundred spectators. Organizers say the parade was warmer, and less icy, than in years past.
