Huddersfield’s St Patrick’s Day Parade is back on Sunday but this year it’ll be a little…shorter!
Instead of a loud and colourful parade of floats and musicians winding through the town centre this year’s parade will be just…32 metres long!
Organisers say Huddersfield St Patrick’s Day Parade 2022 will go down in the record books as the second shortest St Patrick’s Day parade in the world!
In a ‘normal’ year the parade would start and finish at Huddersfield Irish Centre with much colour, music and merriment along the way.
But this year the parade will be centred on St George’s Square and will start at the steps to Huddersfield Railway Station and end 32 metres (105ft) away at the Harold Wilson statue.
It’s precisely 32 metres because 32 represents the number of counties in Ireland. And for those wondering the world ‘s shortest St Patrick’s Day Parade was in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and measured in at just under 30 metres (98ft).
The celebration in the square runs from 12noon to 4pm with the parade itself at 1pm. The entertainment will include Irish music and dance, featuring The Francis Cassidy School of Irish Dancing, St Patrick’s School Choir, modern-style duo Across the Moone, rock band Giants Causeway and traditional Irish music. There will also be a bar and food vendors in the square.
The fun and games will include face painting for the youngsters and the chance to ‘have a go’ at Gaelic football with the Huddersfield’s Brothers Pearse GAA.
This year’s parade is the 20th and Huddersfield St Patrick’s Day Parade Association is working with Huddersfield Irish Centre and St Patrick’s Centre and have planned a series of events from St Patrick’s Day itself – Thursday March 17 – through to parade day on Sunday March 20.
For more details on other events go to www.theparadeonline.org
Images by: Gordon the Photographer
