Wenatchee holds its 44th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

WENATCHEE — At just half a block long, “The World’s Shortest Parade Route” is no blarney. The cobblestone section of Orondo Avenue in front of McGlinn’s Public House between Mission Street and Wenatchee Avenue played host to plenty of green-clad St. Patrick’s Day revelers on Monday night.

The parade may be short, but the community pride was as big as the pot of gold you might find at the end of any rainbow. Wenatchee Mayor Mike Poirier and East Wenatchee Mayor Jerrilea Crawford were on hand to kick things off with a police escort in tow, and the participants this year were as festive as they’ve been in the more than four decades since the parade first marched down Orondo in 1981.

The shenanigans for 2025 were sponsored by KCSY Sunny FM and featured a host of entrants, from Girl Scout Troop 2305 to the staff and pets from Firehouse Pets. Wenatchee’s 2025 Apple Blossom Royalty and Junior Royalty were there, the entire Wenatchee Bighorns basketball team, and even cast and crew from this year’s Apple Blossom musical, “Catch Me If You Can” showed up to march.

The middle of the parade featured something very special: Wenatchee couple Brian and Sara Higgins were wed 12 years ago on March 16. But they were symbolically married again the next day during the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

This year, in what turned out to be a surprise for Sara, their friend and former classmate John Brett, who is now the leader of a ministry in San Francisco, flew in to help them renew their vows. They took 30 seconds of the parade for a ceremony on the fly, and Brian even presented his lovely bride with a ring for the occasion.

Despite a chilly wind, the Luck of the Irish brought sun and fun for hundreds of parade-goers as the town celebrated community, small businesses, and even love itself.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media