Rochester's St. Patrick's Day Parade: 170 Years of Irish Spirit with Kate McBride

Every March, Rochester transforms. The city's St. Patrick's Day Parade — celebrated on the Saturday before the actual holiday — draws tens of thousands of people downtown in what is consistently the largest single-day outdoor event in the city. In Episode 233 of Rochester Living, Corey James Moran and Mark Siwiec sit down with Kate McBride, a 40-year veteran of the parade who has served on the committee for 20 of those years, to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to put Rochester's most beloved tradition together.

170 Years of Parade History

The Rochester St. Patrick's Day Parade traces its roots to the mid-1800s. Kate and fellow committee members have done archival research at the Rochester Public Library's local history section, turning up remarkable artifacts — including a photograph from 1865 showing the parade canceled because Main Street flooded, with people navigating the street by boat. The Ancient Order of Hibernians helped revive the modern parade, and next year will mark the 50th consecutive year of the contemporary event (Covid years respectfully omitted).

The parade is not, Kate emphasizes, a political event. 'It's really a celebration of Rochester,' she says. 'The first big outdoor event that everybody comes out for.' The theme for this year is '200 Years of Freedom, Fueled by Irish Spirit' — a nod to America's 250th anniversary — and organizers are expecting floats draped in both green and red, white, and blue.

The Logistics of Rochester's Biggest Day

Preparation for the parade begins the day after the previous year's event concludes. A volunteer committee of 15 to 18 people works year-round on sponsorships, security, insurance, band contracts, and the dozens of logistical details that make a mile-and-a-half parade route function. Kate serves as vice president and handles public relations and sponsorships. The cost of security has risen significantly over the years, though the event remains, by all accounts, remarkably safe.

The scale is impressive: over 100 entries, nine bands from across New York State (including Downbeat Percussion, which has performed for the Buffalo Bills), six Irish dance schools, six fire departments, floats from the Seneca Park Zoo, and ten animals. The parade steps off at 12:30 p.m. from Manuel Center, heads east, turns down Main Street past Liberty Pole, and ends near the convention center. The East End is the lively, bar-adjacent viewing spot; the Liberty Pole reviewing stand is where families gather and every group performs for judges.

The Honorees: Rochester's Best

Each year, the parade honors individuals and organizations who have contributed to the Irish-American community and to Rochester at large. This year's honorees include Frank Clancy (posthumous, Irish musician), Frank Kimball (posthumous, president of the Irish Children's Program), Terry Robotic (posthumous, longtime committee volunteer), T.K. Clements (posthumous, Marine and state trooper), and Sister Grace North of the House of Mercy. The honorary marshal is a musician from the Dave North Trio. Business leader of the year is Rachel Burke, founder of the Rochester Academy of Irish Dance — who notes she has been part of the parade since before she was born, having marched in utero.

Citizen of the year is Dave Lippa, founder of Staff the 22 Day, an organization dedicated to veteran suicide prevention — the '22' referring to the statistic that 22 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States. Community organization of the year is the Arc of Monroe County, celebrating its 70th anniversary and its belief that disability rights are human rights. Charitable organization of the year is Bellows Bloomers, a Webster-based volunteer group that builds wheelchairs for children under five — an age group many insurance companies will not cover — and has sent 3,500 wheelchairs to 70 countries around the world.

The Deeper Story Behind the Celebration

The episode takes a moving turn when Corey shares the story of his great-grandmother, who emigrated from Ireland under desperate circumstances, was widowed young, and — with no other means of survival — was forced into prostitution to feed her eight children. They were taken from her and placed in Father Baker's orphanage in Lackawanna. Corey's grandfather grew up there, eventually became a modestly successful man, and passed that resilience down through the generations.

'There is always this underlying current,' Corey says. 'When Irish eyes are smiling and the Guinness is flowing, I'm always thinking about the struggles that underlie the party.' Kate responds by mentioning the Forward Society, a Rochester organization working to create an Irish-American Heritage Memorial that would honor both the contributions and the hardships of the Irish immigrant experience. The conversation becomes a meditation on resilience, the immigrant spirit, and why parades like this one matter beyond the green beer and the bagpipes.

Watch or Listen

Episode 233 is available now on YouTube and on all major podcast platforms. For parade information and volunteer opportunities, visit rochesterstpatricksparade.com. Follow Rochester Living on Instagram @rochesterlivingpod for clips and updates.