Downtown Colorado Springs will trade traffic for tartan when the 42nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade turns Tejon Street green at noon on Saturday.

Following the Locate the Leprechaun scavenger hunt and right after the 42nd Annual 5K for St. Patrick’s Day, the parade will host over 100 entries between St. Vrain Street and Vermijo Avenue.

According to the parade’s founder, John O’Donnell, what began in 1984 as a community celebration has since grown into one of the city’s most recognizable annual traditions.

Now, an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 spectators are expected to line the sidewalks in a sea of shamrocks, beads and Irish pride. 

“After 22 years of doing the parade on the west side of town, we really outgrew our own party,” O’Donnell said. “So in 2007, we moved to downtown. Since then, it’s had a reputation as part of the state with community activities all day for everyone to enjoy.”

Though inspired by an overseas tradition, O’Donnell said the parade has taken on a personality of its own. 

“In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is different than here,” he said. “It’s more of a religious thing, and here, it goes along with people in the nation saying, ‘Well, we’re part Irish.’ We’re here to celebrate Irish heritage.” 

Before bagpipes and beads take over Tejon Street, here are three things to know about this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

What’s new and worth raising a pint to this year? 

This year’s celebration carries added significance because the Colorado Springs Fire Department and Fire Chief Randy Royal will serve as grand marshals to the parade in recognition of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Among the firefighters in the parade will be Engine 5, honoring the life of local retired Fire Captain Patrick Rogacki, who passed away in August 2025 from illnesses related to his work at Ground Zero following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

O’Donnell said recognizing the department felt like a meaningful way to reflect on both national remembrance and local heroism.

What festivities go down before the parade?

Festivities start Friday with the free St. Paddy’s Day Sports Expo from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Pikes Peak Center lobby, where the next day’s 5K participants can pick up their race packets and visit with local health and wellness vendors.

A pre-parade breakfast supporting Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center will take place at Cowboys Nightclub from 10 a.m. to noon, with guests invited to stay and watch the parade from the balcony.

Also starting at 10 a.m. on Tejon Street and ending at Acacia Park, the 42nd Annual 5K for St. Patrick’s Day race is expected to have over 1,200 participants. Families can also head to the park at 11 a.m. for the Leprechaun Fun Run for kids ages 3 to 14, wrapping up just before the parade begins. 

Where’s the prime spot to watch, or join, the celebration?

For those hoping to take in the full spectacle, the official parade reviewing stand on the west side of Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue offers ticketed seating for all ages, open to the public an hour before step-off.

Craving a front-row view along with a snack? A perch on the deck at Blondie’s, Tony’s or Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant might be the go-to spot.

Head to Paddy O’Pub on Bijou Street, where the 5K post-race awards and Corporate Cup Challenge unfold during and after the parade. Welcoming adults and children under supervision, the pub offers a place to cheer, sip and maybe even claim a little luck of your own.