CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — With temperatures in the teens, the annual parade hosted by the SaPaDaPaSo — St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society — was likely one for the record books.
Still, small crowds lined most of the parade route on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, even as some spectators took to the skywalks or watched the hour-long event from businesses, and candy occasionally landed in slushy snow left behind by a late Sunday blizzard.
City of Cedar Rapids crews worked through the night to remove snow piles left by the March 15-16 snowstorm, to make sure views were not obstructed and to clear the streets as much as possible.
Candy occasionally landed in icy slush during the SaPaDaPaSo parade March 17, 2026, through downtown Cedar Rapids. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
More than 70 entries registered, though some dropped out prior to the day of the parade, and spectators that sometimes number in the thousands were much more sparse compared to warmer parade days.
Dozens of volunteers also lined the route, braving the below-freezing temperatures.
This year marked the 51st anniversary of the parade. The first parade in 1976 lasted four minutes and was a block and a half long.
See photos from last year’s 50th anniversary parade and more from the 2026 parade, below:
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