Maybe it’s my wee bit of Irish ancestry, but I love a good St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It’s fun, it’s festive and most of those attending are very … celebratory.

I have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in a few different cities, but my favorite celebrations so far have been in Chicago, where they dye the river green; New Orleans, which elevates any parade to the next level; and Hot Springs, home of the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Last March, my daughters and I opted for a quick spring break trip to Hot Springs during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. To be honest, I knew very little about the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, but once I realized we would be in town during the event, I was eager to see how it compared to those in bigger cities. Willing, but much less eager, is how I would describe Emma and Sophie’s response to attending the parade. Maybe they were just hungry.

So, after watching the ponies run at Oaklawn for most of the afternoon, we drove down Central Avenue toward downtown Hot Springs. Blocks before getting to the parade route, traffic was stalled, and hundreds of people lined the streets. It didn’t take long before I realized that “The First Ever 21st Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade” was going to be much bigger than I anticipated.

Last year’s lineup, for example, included Emmitt Smith as grand marshal. The former professional football player and NFL record holder played for the Dallas Cowboys for 13 seasons. Forrie J. Smith, one of the stars of the hit series “Yellowstone” was the 2024 parade starter. Live entertainment included a free Pat Green concert after the parade.

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders marched in the parade, in addition to an Elvis impersonator and dancing Leprechauns. At one point, a wedding was being officiated on a float in the parade as it made its way down Bridge Street.

Organizers have announced that Valerie Bertinelli will serve as the parade’s official grand marshal this year, with Flavor Flav serving as the official parade starter. Grand Funk Railroad and The Molly Ringwalds are scheduled to perform during the weekend.

As the three of us stood there last year watching the parade in a heavily congested area, we were pelted with beads and other favors tossed from the floats. Somehow, Sophie ended up with a T-shirt that had been tossed into the crowd. After the parade was over, we walked toward a favorite restaurant. Along the way, Sophie decided to unroll the T-shirt caught at the parade. The look on her face was priceless.

“Pinch this!” was printed in big green letters on the front of the shirt, just above a big crawfish and the name of a local restaurant. She was not impressed, but we all had a good laugh.

This 98-foot parade is no joke, and I look forward to returning to Hot Springs in the future for its St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It may officially be the shortest St. Paddy’s Day parade on record, but it’s packed sky high in Irish spirit.