St Patrick's Day Festival Moves to L.A. Live
Ed Fuentes
The Los Angeles Police Emerald Society marches in the 2009 St. Patrick's Day Parade.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Leprechauns will not be marching down Main Street this year, but the party will go on.
The City of Los Angeles and AEG will hold a St. Patrick's Day Festival at L.A. Live on Wednesday, March 17, that will feature many of the elements that had taken part in the parades of recent years, but budget issues will put the brakes on a journey through city streets.
"We regret that the City of Los Angeles Saint Patrick's Day Parade has been suspended for 2010," says a page put up by the Los Angeles Fire Department. "A decision has not been made regarding future year events." Past year motions listed the cost of the event at $5,000.
The news was confirmed by staff in the office of Councilman Tom LaBonge, who will co-host the St. Patrick's Day event with Councilwoman Jan Perry.
While Los Angeles has had sporadic city celebrations over the years, the parade of recent years was brought to life by Captain Doug Morgan and Captain Richard Andrade of Downtown's Fire Station 3.
Slowly, the event grew, still maintaining an odd small town charm that had celebrities like actor Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) and Eric Estrada (CHiPS) join bands and civic dignitaries down Main street before ending at Pershing Square.
In recent years, the park filled with revelers and concert-goers wearing green, bringing mid-day life to the maligned park space.
“I’m glad it will still be celebrated Downtown, but for us it’s sad that it moved away from Pershing Square,” says Louise Capone, the Senior Recreation Director who oversees performances at the park. She reports she placed bid in to the city in December, 2009. “We did have a budget for staffing and talent, but were not asked to participate this year. I don’t know for what reason.”
“I don’t want the tradition to end. Every big city has a St. Patrick’s Celebration.”
Festivities are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 17, from 11am to 3pm, with a stage ceremony at 12:30pm. The festival will feature Ken O’Malley & The Twlight Lords, the Los Angeles Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, a display of classic fire trucks and police cars, and an Irish-themed beer garden. Sponsor proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society. The event is free.
Guest on March 05, 2010, at 07:59PM – #1
I heard Kevin and Bean are going to broadcast their KROQ morning show from Casey's in downtown..that's where I'll be on the day of green!
Jasmijn on March 06, 2010, at 09:36AM – #2
What a pity! We watched the parade last year and it was a lot of fun: people really seemed to enjoy it all along Main. I also hope this shift to LA Live (like the ice rink that popped up there this year, with the loss of the Kings' sponsorship of the one at Pershing Square) isn't the start of a trend away from Pershing Square. Admittedly having a bunch of partiers on the freshly-planted sod just laid on the square would kill it right away...
Guest on March 07, 2010, at 11:05PM – #3
Pershing Square actually created the St. Patrick's Day event in downtown LA. Over the past few years The Young Dubs , The Fenians, Dublin5 and other Irish bands have played free concerts. When the parade ended at Pershing Park people joined into jig. It was the largest two hour party LA put on. Pershing Park is the downtown people's park. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ... come on City Council
Guest on March 08, 2010, at 12:03AM – #4
All that money and they can't think of their own events. First the ice rink and now the St. Patrick's Day party. If we dont support our community park it will go back to being a homeless day care center. I rather walk my dog on the new sod then go back to having the homeless sleep on it.
Guest on March 08, 2010, at 10:48AM – #5
Times are hard, I get it. However, if they are canceling this parade then I hope that all other ethnic parades are likewise canceled. If LA is cancelling this one because they think it is politically safe, but don't likewise cancel anythng regarding Cinco di Maio or Martin Luther King Day then anyone with an once of Irish pride should cry discrimination and not let them away with it.
Guest on March 11, 2010, at 09:01AM – #6
The more I hear about this event moving to LA Live and away from Pershing Square the more I get upset. This event not continuing at the park has nothing to do with "The City Budget" This is about the Council offices seeing LA Live as a big pile of cash that can be used to make these members look good. It's a win win situation for LA Live. They get the blessing of the City Council and the resturants get a built in cliental. Can we expect to see Dog Day Afternoon and the Blessing of the Aanimals moving to LA Live? The Skating Rink has all ready become theirs. The Park advisors ( Bert Green is the President) might consider stepping up and explaining to the Council there is a difference between community and cash.
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on March 11, 2010, at 10:46AM – #7
Speaking of Pershing Square...
after rebuilding the Farmer's Market after a puzzling move from the wildly successful library location, it has taken weeks and weeks for that event to recover from the Park's demand the Market cut back when it really could have benefited from the extra business with the ice rink.
There was plenty of room for the farmer's market, and a lot of the vendors were hurt during a very busy Christmas season.
The explanation from Raw Inspirations rang as false as the official reason for the move from the library.
I guess doing business with the Parks Department, might make the sponsors of the St Patrick's Day thing just not want to deal with City Parks Bureaucracy.
And now that services will suffer from the cutbacks, it will take forever before things return to normal...if they ever do...
which is a serious question.
Bert Green (@bgfa) on March 12, 2010, at 09:48AM – #8
I am not the president of the Pershing Square Advisory Board.
Nina on March 12, 2010, at 02:50PM – #9
So does this mean that Cinco De Mayo will also be canceled? I think not with the Hispanic mayor and population we have, however we have quite an Irish one too and what a disappointment and a slam.
Guest on March 14, 2010, at 12:01PM – #10
I dont know why the park isn't having their usual lunchtime St. Patrick's Day concert? The park lady and the PAB have just started to clean up Pershing and make it a fun place to go espically in the summer. If we stop programing now it will go back to homeless day camp.
Guest on March 14, 2010, at 12:01PM – #11
I dont know why the park isn't having their usual lunchtime St. Patrick's Day concert? The park lady and the PAB have just started to clean up Pershing and make it a fun place to go espically in the summer. If we stop programing now it will go back to homeless day camp.
Guest on March 17, 2010, at 01:34PM – #12
No large city with without a St. Patrick's Day Parade. As an Irish-American citizen in Los Angeles, I am really outraged. I emailed the City Budget office this morning to register my complaint that if they cancel the St. Patrick's Day Parade and not the King Day Parade and any other parades, that is discriminatory, singling out the parade of one ethnic group. If it is strictly a numbers issue, then there should be no parades, otherwise, their cancellation of one parade smacks of discriminatory practices. Bad, bad decision, L.A.