Parade Information

Ten, here we go again! Welcome to the 10th Annual Mystic Irish Parade in downtown Mystic! This festive celebration, planned and executed by the Mystic Irish Parade Foundation, began ten years ago when a handful of volunteers joined together and decided to celebrate Irish traditions right here in Southeastern Connecticut. A phenomenal team of local residents, business leaders and dedicated volunteers have transformed this event into making it Mystic’s largest single day celebration with over 2,000 marchers and 30,000 spectators.

The Mystic Irish Parade, funded by proceeds from community events and the generosity of local business sponsorships, is an annual event that has become a community wide cultural tradition. Surplus funds from the Mystic Irish Parade are donated to local charities that support the Southeastern Connecticut community.

In special commemoration of our tenth year, we have over 100 organizations to fill the streets of Mystic with decorated floats, Gaelic music, and last but not least, the infamous Irish jig! The 2013 Mystic Irish Parade will be host over ten Celtic rooted Pipe Bands, representing more than any other parade statewide. In addition to these unique musicians, there will be Fife & Drum Units, Drum & Bugle Corps, Military Drill Teams and more in celebration of Irish heritage.

This year, the community will be getting an extra special performance by the world famous Joshua Tree Band as well! As the nation’s premier tribute band to U2, The Joshua Tree Band will reproduce the distinct sound of one of the world’s most popular rock bands and have all 30,000 spectators dancing in the streets!

The parade will also feature classic antique cars, firefighting equipment, multiple police units, high school area bands, and local Scout troops. Small businesses from Southeastern CT will fill the parade with colorfully designed floats and their dedicated employees. Steve Elci and Friends, internationally recognized children’s music artists, will premier a fantastic Kidsploration performance for the children at the parade as well.

A special thank you to our sponsors, for without them, this parade would not be nearly as successful as it is today. We ask that the Southeastern CT community please help us return the favor by supporting our sponsors and shopping local.

Lastly, on Sunday, March 31st at 4:00 PM at the Harp & Hound Pub in Mystic, we will award trophies to the winning participants of the parade. We will also honor the dedicated volunteers who have made the Mystic Irish Parade a resounding success and one of the most reputable parades in New England. We will hold the annual raffle drawing for a trip for two to Ireland as well. (Raffle tickets can be purchased at the Harp & Hound, Taber Inne and the Wireless Zone in Groton for $5 per ticket.)

Thank you for joining us at the 10th Annual Mystic Irish Parade! Enjoy the festivities and cheers to future parades to come!

Neil Ryan
Vice President, Mystic Irish Parade Foundation
www.mysticirishparade.org
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