O’Keefe clan members Thomas O’Keefe, from left, Erika Maghakian (an honorary O’Keefe) and Lauren O’Keefe Erickson walk in a recent St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown St. Paul. (Leila Navidi, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

St. Paul will be turning green on Friday as St. Patrick's Day festivities kick into high gear once again.

Organizers are hoping to build on the crowds of last year's gathering as partying returns to normal after the height of the COVID pandemic. Paradegoers are eager to participate after the traditional march through downtown was canceled in 2020 and sized down in 2021, said Hayden Kilkenny, president of the St. Patrick's Association.

"COVID definitely threw us off. … The biggest impact is how excited people are to come back out," Kilkenny said. "Last year, we had a good turnout and I expect it to be better this year."

Challenges remain. Organizers have grappled with decreased downtown foot traffic and rising event costs.

Many St. Paul street events have been canceled since 2020 due to security fee increases following policy changes made by St. Paul police in 2019. Parade organizers had to do more fundraising legwork chasing corporate sponsors to offset the jump in security costs, Kilkenny said.

West 7th Street's LuckyPalooza downsized its annual street party to a pub crawl last week to combat such costs.

While funding has been a barrier for some events, the number of activities and participating businesses taking part in the St. Patrick's Day festivities have increased, said Chelsea Fey of Visit St. Paul. Organizers hope that leads to increased attendance.

"It's a positive thing for the businesses that events are back. People are excited to return," Fey said.

There are celebrations planned at Landmark Center and the Wabasha Street Caves, as well as events planned by local businesses. And then there is the big parade at noon.

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown will start at Rice Park and head toward Mears Park along 5th Street. Afterward, paradegoers can gather at the Ball Park Hooey at CHS Field in Lowertown for music, food and drinks. Proceeds from the event also help raise money for security costs, according to Kilkenny.

St. Paul's leaders are excited about the events and hope they will increase downtown foot traffic. They "help bring that positive activity, foot traffic and eyes on downtown," St. Paul Council Member Rebecca Noecker said.

Several bars and restaurants have erected large tents in their parking lots to handle the expected crowds Friday. St. Paul Brewing in the former Hamm's Brewery on E. Minnehaha Avenue will have a 30-foot high stack of kegs lit green for the occasion.

"This year has been snowy," notes Jeannie Kenevan, St. Paul Brewing's marketing director. St. Patrick's "is a day that prompts people to get out."

Meanwhile in the west metro, the Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Association will again hold its annual parade in Columbia Heights. The parade, in its 55th year, will step off at 6 p.m. along 40th Avenue Northeast in Columbia Heights on Friday.