The Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 1 p.m. Sunday, traveling along Michigan Avenue from Sixth Street to 14th Street in the city’s historically Irish neighborhood known as Corktown.
Parade organizers say the annual event is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, with between 80,000 and 100,000 people attending each year.
The procession usually lasts about two hours, featuring marching bands, pipe and drum bands, color guards, floats, clowns and novelty groups. A Parade Day Mass begins at 10:30 a.m. at Most Holy Trinity Church, 1050 Porter St., Detroit. The Corktown Races, which includes 5K, mile and quarter mile events, also take place before the parade.
The United Irish Societies, which represents dozens of Irish cultural, music, dance and business organizations, hosts the event. This year’s theme is “Detroit Irish: A charitable legacy of friendship, loyalty and love.”
The 2025 grand marshal is Joan O’Halloran. She and her late husband Tom owned and operated the Tipperary Pub in Detroit for many years; and promoted Irish culture in the region through music and events.
The 2025 Hometown Heroes are members of the Plymouth Township Police Department.
Special guests will include dignitaries from Ireland.
“The Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade has brought together people of all cultures and nationalities in metro Detroit to celebrate Irish culture and make lasting memories. The parade is a great time to celebrate Corktown, Detroit and the positive momentum in the Corktown area,” the parade website said.
