COTTLEVILLE, Mo. — Several local businesses got together to plan “Irish Fest” in downtown Cottleville on Highway N instead of the Shamrock Parade. The festivities start Saturday morning.
In January, FOX 2 reported on the Cottleville Firefighters Outreach’s tough decision to cancel the Shamrock Parade due to rising vendor costs. The Shamrock Run is still planned as usual.
“It was a big bummer for us and the town. The parade really brings in a lot of business to all the local business owners, and we really need this day. We want the continued support from the community, so we got together and decided we’ll still create a great event here in Cottleville,” said Chelsey Sweeten, the owner of the Public School House.
When the small businesses heard about this, they got together to make sure the party would still go on.
“It’s something we’re going to miss definitely,” said Dave Bemis, the co-owner of Bemo’s said. His establishment is hosting bands in its outdoor tent.
There’s no stopping the luck, or party, of the Irish in Cottleville Saturday.
“We went really big with the tent because the weather is so cold,” Sweeten said.
They are hosting local vendors, including Arch Apparel, Rolling Cigars, and Sugarfire to name a few. She hopes this will become an annual event.
“I think it’s exciting that after COVID they are bringing out the bands, and they’re going to draw out the people to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It’s going to be really fun,” Shannon Boland said.
She’s been attending the parade since it started and was bummed to hear it was canceled, but she said everyone will still have a good time.
Visit the links below for more information on this weekend’s festivities:
- Shamrock Run in Cottleville: https://www.shamrockparade.com/
- Defiance Parade and Run: https://www.defiancemo.com/events
- Downtown St. Louis parade: https://irishparade.org/the-parade/
