Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day parade in Columbia O'Heights this year

COVID-19 stopped the Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day parade last year, but not this year.

In a history-making move, the Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Association will stage a one-block “reverse parade” Saturday in Columbia Heights. It will be the first time in 53 years the Irish celebration will take place somewhere other than downtown Minneapolis.

“We are adapting to the times,” said Judy Clerkin, who with her husband, Sean, has organized the parade since 1969. “It’s going to be fun.”

It’s also going to be quite different. Parade-goers will remain in their cars as they drive down Jefferson Street and gawk at Irish royalty, dancers, bagpipers and superheroes performing on the sidewalk.

Drivers who have preregistered have been assigned a time to line up in a parking lot at Murzyn Hall on NE. Mill Street. Every half-hour between 1 and 3 p.m., a group of 15 vehicles will be allowed to make the one-block trek down nearby NE. Jefferson Street from 40th Avenue to 39th.

A few slots remain. Reservations can be made by calling 763-234-0669.

“We hated to cut if off, but we have to control it somehow,” Clerkin said.

Minneapolis' first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a short caravan between two pubs that teamed up to start it. It featured one float and members of the Vikings football team riding motorcycles into one of the bars hosting the event. Since then, large crowds often have converged on Nicollet Mall every March 17 to take in the extravaganza featuring floats, bands, marching ensembles and all things green.

Last year’s parade was abruptly canceled with the arrival of the coronavirus in March and stay-home orders. With COVID-19 and variants still circulating, lots of construction downtown and worries about unrest related to the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, it appeared 2021 would suffer the same fate.

“It was going to be too hard to have it,” Clerkin said.

As luck would have it, the Columbia Heights Lions Club stepped up to sponsor this year’s event and invited the St. Patrick’s Day Association to the suburbs. A large parade was not feasible, but Clerkin said she thought, “Let’s try a small one, a big block party.”

More than 50 ensembles will participate in Saturday’s event, fewer than in the past.

In conjunction with the parade, the association is sponsoring a car decorating contest. It is also holding an online silent auction running through 6 p.m. Friday. Proceeds from the auction will help send kids to Camp Needlepoint, an overnight camp for children with Type 1 diabetes.

The organization also sells commemorative buttons, beads and shamrocks.

Though far from traditional, Clerkin said, she’s just glad the “reverse parade” is on.

“And it’s going to be 57 degrees [on Saturday],” she said. “What more can you ask for?”

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768