The 25th annual Cathlamet St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place this coming Sunday on Main Street. The parade started in 1994 with Judy Brawn marching one wolfhound, Misty Rivers Echo, up and down Main Street. It grew slowly for the next few years, and then blossomed after Rick Nelson put a photo on the front page of The Eagle. Since then the parade has often been able to boast of having more Irish wolfhounds than the Portland and Seattle parades – usually between 15 and 20.

The parade will assemble across the street from Bank of the Pacific and start marching at noon. It’s an informal straggly sidewalk parade down Main, crossing in front of Cathlamet Market, and back up the other side with lots of pauses for pets and photos and a final group photo op in front of the courthouse. All Irish, friends of the Irish, and doggie friends of the Irish are welcome to join. Wearin’ o’ the green is encouraged but not required. After the parade, the wolfies escort the group to Duffy’s Irish Tavern in Grays River for post-parade festivities.