Going to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Kansas City? Here’s time, route, parking info
Midtown streets will once again turn green as tens of thousands of Kansas Citians are expected to show their Irish pride Friday during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the nation’s largest.
Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC, will be grand marshal of this year’s parade, which has the theme of ‘23 in KC: Our Irish Ancestry.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. and typically wraps up around 1:30 p.m. The route will be a familiar one, following Broadway Boulevard through midtown and Westport, starting at Linwood Boulevard and ending at 43rd Street.
Staging areas will be along Linwood between Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue as well as along Broadway between 31st and Linwood. The parade will end in an area along Mill Creek Parkway, between 43rd and 47th Street/Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard.
At least 24 hours before the parade, “No Parking” signs will go up along the parade route and areas where the parade begins and ends, according to the event’s website.
Police will start enforcing the parking restrictions at 5 a.m. Friday by ticketing and towing vehicles off of the route. The entire route will be closed starting at 8 a.m., said Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.
As with any large scale event such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade, police plan to have adequate staffing for the parade, entertainment districts and traffic control, Drake said. The departments traffic enforcement unit and DUI section will also be out in high traffic areas conducting enforcement.
“We want to remind people to not leave firearms and other items in their vehicles and especially not in plain sight,” Drake said. “Leave firearms and other valuables at home.”
People are also urged to plan ahead and do not drive intoxicated. Drake suggested people designate a driver before hand or use a ride-hailing service to get to and from the parade.
“We want everyone to do their part to ensure a safe and fun day,” she said.
People can park at available spots on the streets in the area. Various parking lots along the route also are available for a fee. See the event’s website for a map and cost of parking.
The following lots are not available for public parking and vehicles parking there may be towed: Uptown Shoppes at 3600 Broadway, Housing Authority of Kansas City at 3822 Summit St., Sun Fresh in Westport and World Market in Westport.
People are allowed to bring coolers, preferably personal sized, but glass containers and alcohol are not allowed on the parade route. Under city ordinances, police may search and confiscate coolers, according to the event’s website.
Because of the expected crowd, people are encouraged to leave their pets at home for their safety and the safety of others. Portable restrooms will be set up along the parade route.
