Ask Bonnie

Date: March 15, 2008

Atlantic Avenue, from the beach to the tennis center (parade)
Old School Square parking lot (party)
Delray Beach

Phone: 561/279-0907

Now in its 40th year, the St. Patrick’s Day parade and party will return to downtown Delray Beach for a day full of Irish fun. This year will honor the parade’s founding father, Maury Powers. As legend has it, 40 years ago, and spending his first St. Patrick’s Day in South Florida, Powers lamented the lack of any local celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. With just a little encouragement from his pals—and a bit of Irish whisky—he took up the challenge to have an impromptu parade right then and there. Powers left for a few minutes, only to return with his top hat and shillelagh and began a solitary stroll up the middle of Atlantic Avenue (much to the delight of his drinking buddies and chuckling passersby). When questioned as to just what he thought he was doing, his proud response was, “I’m having a parade!” Hundreds of thousands of people have attended the St. Patrick’s Day parade over the years, and it all started with one man. This year’s parade is from 1–2:30 p.m., and the party—featuring Irish food, drink and music—is from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.