CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — After returning to the traditional day last year, the annual SaPaDaPaSo — St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society — parade will again be held on March 17.
In 2022, organizers cited a challenge with finding volunteers during the workweek in moving the parade to the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, but returned to the traditional day in 2024.
The 2025 parade begins at 1 p.m. Monday, March 17, on the city’s standard downtown parade route: Sixth Street SE, turning left on Second Avenue SE; left on First Street SE; left on Third Avenue SE; and ending at Greene Square Park.
See photos from the 2024 parade.
The parade returned to its traditional day of March 17 in 2024. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Organizers note that the city will enforce no parking for all streets along the route from 10 a.m. through the end of the parade at approximately 3:30 p.m. All vehicles not moved prior to the beginning of enforcement periods will be towed at the owner’s expense. The no parking rule will also be enforced in the staging areas beginning at 10 a.m.
Monday’s weather won’t be as warm as recent days, but should be mild, with temperatures in the 50s.
Even with wind chills below freezing, large crowds lined the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids to watch about 90 units in the 2024 parade.
As COVID-19 concerns elevated in March 2020, organizers decided to cancel the parade, which had been held, rain or shine, since 1976.
In 2021, before COVID-19 vaccine was widely available, the parade was moved to Hawkeye Downs in southwest Cedar Rapids, where organizers held “the first and last, one of a kind race track parade.” Spectators stayed in their vehicles and drove around to view parade entries that remained stationary inside the track.
See photos from the 2023 parade.
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