Crown Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival Features Night of Irish Celebration

Residents and city officials had a lot to celebrate in Crown Point at the Seventh Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival. While Assistant Police Chief Jim Janda wished for the warmer weather of years past, the cooler temperatures did not stop both residents and visitors from lining the streets in anticipation of the twilight parade.

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Alaina Hagenseker is a Public Affairs major at Indiana University Northwest and is interning with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. She is one of the coordinators of this year’s parade. She noted, “This is the only night time St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Northern Indiana. We have 28 floats this year, not including the fire trucks and police cars. Each year, it gets bigger.”

Among the entries this year was the Crown Point Bulldog Hockey Team. The team had more to celebrate than just the holiday. This past week their Junior Varsity team won the Shamrock Showdown in a 4-3 shootout in overtime. They also won the Illinois State High School Hockey League Championship. Both parents and players walked this year next to a float featuring a bulldog on skates and a replica of the Stanley Cup.

The Highland Model-A Club has been a fixture in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They have participated each year and had 10 Model A Fords representing them. Their club boasts 54 members from both Indiana and Illinois and is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary. Some of the cars in the parade this year also made appearances in the movies “Public Enemies” and “The Road to Perdition”.

This was the first appearance of Symphony of Crown Point in the parade. In May, they will be opening a senior living community and medical resort in Crown Point. Not satisfied with passing out candy, Symphony brought hundreds of t-shirts, glow sticks and water bottles to pass out to the crowd. “We are so excited to be participating,” said Amy Nikruto, Regional Director of Marketing for Symphony. “We plan on making this an annual tradition!”

Chick-fil-A was another business not satisfied with passing out candy. “We are giving away hundreds of sandwiches along the route,” said franchise owner Tyler Carter. “So much of our success has been due to the support of Crown Point. We see this as a way to give back to the community.”

Besides local businesses, non-profit organizations like Meals on Wheels were also represented along the route. Founded in Northwest Indiana in 1977, Meals on Wheels provides over 300,000 meals to senior citizens in the area. “We are here tonight promoting our ‘March for Meals’ program. We want to raise awareness of how we are impacting senior hunger in our community.”

A staple of any parade is the Orak Shriners. With mini cars and hot rods, the Shriners were there to raise awareness for their work for children with birth defects. Shriner Glen Boganwright says, “We do this to bring attention to our hospitals. If anyone knows a child who suffers from a birth defect, they should get in touch with us so we can help them.”

Jennifer Hochstetler and her family have made the parade a family tradition. “It’s our son Ryland’s birthday today. So, coming to the parade is a fun way for us to celebrate. We love taking part in activities that connect us to our community.”

Like the Hochstetlers, many residents, city officials and business owners appreciate the role the St. Patrick’s Day parade plays in connecting the community. Having spent the winter inside, the parade gives residents a reason to come out of their homes and gather with friends and neighbors as antique cars and horses adorned with lights pass by. More than a cultural celebration, it marks the arrival of Spring and is the first sign of warmer days ahead.