HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The date for the 45th annual Ellen McAnelly Memorial St. Patrick’s Day Parade has officially been set – March 12 at 11 a.m. The event will march through downtown Huntsville for the first time since 2019.

“I think everybody’s just really excited to just get back out there,” Parade Director Lisa Bollinger told News 19. “It’s springtime, and (it’s great) to just be Irish for the day.”

The Irish Society of North Alabama organizes the event and said it is still looking for groups to join the parade and welcomes clubs and organizations of all sizes to register.

“It can be families, organizations, sports teams, clubs, anyone can come and join,” Bollinger said. “You just have to let us know you’re coming and we’ll find you a spot.”

This year, the parade is set to start at Lot K on the corner of Woodson and Holmes and will trickle through the downtown streets of Huntsville. Organizers say it will stop briefly at St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church on Jefferson Street for the annual blessing of the parade and the Irish and American flags.

The parade will go south on Washington Street through Eastside Square and north on Church Street past the Huntsville Museum of Art and between West and East Big Spring Park. You can view the entire parade route here.

An official afterparty will be held at Straight to Ale Brewing at Campus 805. The event will be family-friendly with live music, games, and drink and food specials.

Sponsors for the event include Straight to Ale Brewing, Innerspace Brewing, Jefferson Street Pub, The Rocket City Mustang Club, the Ryan Family, the Hardison Family and The Maggie McGuinness Pub.

To register for the parade, click here. Any updates will be posted on the organization’s Facebook page.