The Motor City will celebrate its Irish roots with its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade this weekend, a longstanding Corktown tradition.
The 68th annual Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at Sixth Street and travels down Michigan Avenue (U.S. 12).
The parade expects to draw tens of thousands of spectators of diverse backgrounds to Corktown, Detroit’s historic Irish quarter, for the display of Irish heritage. There will be a variety of floats, marching bands, color guard units and more, decked in festive green and shamrocks.
St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday honoring Ireland’s patron saint, is Tuesday, March 17.
Here’s what to know about Detroit’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
When is Detroit’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade?
The 68th annual Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
The parade steps off at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Sixth Street and continues down Michigan Avenue to 14th Street.
What can you expect at the parade?
The 68th annual Detroit St. Patrick Parade will include floats, marching bands and color guard units, and is expected to draw 80,000 to 100,000 attendees, according to its website.
A family-fun zone offers a space for family-friendly activities, live entertainment, beverages and treats, and parade viewing, at a cost.
Who’s the grand marshal for the 2026 parade?
John Heinzman is the grand marshal for 2026.
Heinzman has served as a co-chair of the parade fundraiser and the LeperCON Crawl. He also provides music and choreography for Irish heritage nights with the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons, and the Detroit City Football Club, all of which are parade fundraisers for the United Irish Societies.
An accomplished Irish dancer, he, along with his mother, Kitty, and sister Liz, founded the “Heinzman School of Irish Dance” (now called the Ardan Academy of Irish Dance). He received his TCRG as well as ADCRG Irish dance teaching certification. In addition to Irish dance, he incorporates teaching Gaelic to his students.
“His impact on Irish dance extends locally, nationally, and internationally as he is regularly called upon to adjudicate dance competitions, including the ‘All Worlds,'” the parade website says.
When is St. Patrick’s Day in 2026?
St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, 2026.
St. Patrick’s Day festivities often include parades, shamrocks, Irish cuisine, music, wearing green, enjoying corned beef and cabbage, and drinking alcoholic beverages. Catholics may also observe the religious day by attending mass at a local church.
Who was St. Patrick?
Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was a fifth-century Christian bishop from England, known for spreading Christianity in Ireland, per Catholic Online.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: St. Patrick’s Day parade in Detroit. Time, date, grand marshal
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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