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The Colorado Springs St.Patrick's Day Parade was started in 1984. Located in the city's historic Old Colorado City district. the parade has drawn over half a million visitors to the neighborhood during its more than 24 year run. This event was started to draw attention to the community's newest special improvement district. In the late 1800s Old Colorado City, once the state's capitol, was home to bars, casinos and bawdy houses. The Colorado gold rush brought tens of thousands of fortune seekers to the shadow of Pikes Peak. For over seventy years the buildings in the neighborhood housed several generations of business efforts. Once the legislature created the opportunity to create "Special Improvement Districts" the City Council of Colorado Springs formed the "Old Colorado City Improvement District." Small business was enticed into the neighborhood and business owners banded together to promote the area. John O'Donnell was asked to organized a St. Patrick's Day Parade by friends in the area. He spent over six months raising money, attracting entries, designing a marketing program, recruiting volunteers and organizing a supporting running event. The first year of the event, Sunday, March 17, 1985 was an auspicious day. The parade crowd was treated to wonderful 70 degree weather. The crowd, estimated at over 35,000, lined the 1.2 mile route cheering the 80 entries. It was the largest crowd to attend a parade in the city of Colorado Springs. |
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By 2007 the parade had outgrown the westside of the Springs, and although there was still a lot of support to keep it in Old Colorado City, it was decided to move it Downtown. Today the St. Patrick's Day Parade and Celebration is held on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day,...or on it. In 2007, over 1400 runners participated in the 5K on St. Patrick's Day, more than 200 kids ran the Leprechaun Fun Run and 2500 folks marched in the parade with over 100 entries. |
