Contributed by Kevin Parkinson

Alright Jackson, we are (less than) one month away from one of my favorite events of the year. It's the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade, which this year has the theme of ‘Stars, Stripes and Shamrocks," grand marshaled by our own mayor, John Horhn. Now every year, my family and I do the Run the Rainbow race that happens one week before the parade, we do The Hal’s Marching MALfunction Stomp, which happens the night before the parade, and of course, we do the parade itself. If my wife or I ever have appointments that get scheduled for that day, we always rearrange them. And if one of our kids has a soccer tournament that day, we always tell them that they need a sub because we always make sure that we are there for the parade.

Why do we always prioritize the parade? Well, in part because it's a good cause and it's used as a fundraiser to support the Children's Hospital here in town. But even more than that, the parade weekend is just so much fun. It's one of those few opportunities to get Jacksonians of every age and every race all together for a super fun time.

The Heart of Jackson Comes Alive Every St. Paddy's Day

Jackson really is the City With Soul and during St. Paddy's Day weekend, that soul comes alive. The surrounding municipalities of Jackson might have us beat in an area or two, but this is one area where they just cannot compete. We have the love, the fun, the community and the soul of Jackson and St. Paddy's Day weekend truly exemplifies that. So the parade is awesome, but we can't deny that it has grown bigger, more complicated and wilder than the founders ever could have dreamed.

Lately, there's been some really tragic events that have happened in the hours after the parade. We've also left downtown trashed, and there's been hot coals found in planters and other areas throughout downtown. By the grace of God, the coals haven't led to any major events thus far. But as a Chicago boy, I can tell you, you don't want fire in your downtown corridor. Our challenge, therefore, is to host a parade that's just as fun as ever, that's just as joyful as ever that's just as soulful as ever, that brings Jacksonians of every age, race, color, and creed all together like always, while still maintaining some level of order and safety and making sure we're preserving our downtown corridor.

Why the 2026 Parade Looks a Little Different This Year

As a result, you're going to see some changes this year, including new rules, a new route, a new start time—Noon—and new cleanup procedures that are going to make this year, the 2026 St. Paddy's Day Parade, the best St. Paddy's Day Parade we've ever had. You can check the parade website for all the details. But here are some quick tips to make the most out of St. Patrick's Day weekend 2026.

Your Guide to Making the Most of St. Paddy's Day Weekend in Jackson

First, it's a time-honored tradition in Jackson to stake your group's spot along the parade route the night before. This year, however, you are invited to stake your claim no earlier than four hours prior to the start of the parade. Since the parade is starting at noon this year, you can begin setting up at 8 a.m. or after. So Friday night, don't worry about staking your claim. Go out, enjoy The Stomp (from Cathead to Hal & Mal’s), enjoy a night out, get some good rest, and when you wake up in the morning, you can start setting up beginning at 8 a.m.

Second, your crew, your family, your friends: you won't need to get any porta potties this year because the parade organizers are actually paying for porta potties to be placed along the route.

You're welcome to bring all the food you want. So if you wanna bring hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, or anything else, feel free to bring it (and if I see you, you better give me some). But the deal is, you have to cook it in advance. So get one of those aluminum foil tins, make your delicious meal, pack it up, bring it with you, bring enough to share with everyone. It's gonna be a fun time. But please do not bring your grills, do not bring any open flames, and do not cook while you are out there. But feel free to bring all the food that you want. And if you don't wanna bring your own food, there will be food vendors on site, and this year they're gonna be better than ever.

You're also welcome to bring some beverages, but please no glass bottles. If you have beverages, maybe some sweet tea or anything else that might normally come in a glass bottle, please transfer that to something that is not glass so that you can enjoy it with no glass on site.

And lastly, when you come, please bring a garbage bag and plan to clean up after yourselves when you leave.

Jackson, this is going to be such a fun weekend. Let's make sure that we're leaving downtown even better than we find it so that we can continue to have this event for many many years to come. Alright y'all, check the parade website for more details. I can't wait to see you out there. Let's come together, let's have fun, let's do it the right way, and let's make St. Paddy’s Day weekend the best weekend of the year.