St. Patrick’s Day 2019 Healdsburg Style

How many years have you thought about going, or planned and missed, or just weren’t sure that attending the Healdsburg St. Patty’s Day Parade at 7:00 AM would be a good idea. I bet a lot of you.

Good news, this is your year. The Healdsburg Kiwanis Club with The City of Healdsburg and countless others have all come together to make this a full day of what makes Healdsburg so wonderful. That would be all of us, lets gather and enjoy the sunshine.

GAME PLAN for ROOKIES

Who should attend? Everyone! This is a family friendly event and open to all.

I suggest being at Sanderson Ford at 6:40 AM to be in the parade. There is no sign up, no fee and no special skills to participate or attend. All gather and at 7:00 AM sharp the parade starts and heads south on Healdsburg Avenue, turns left on Matheson and makes a loop around the Plaza. Everyone heads back up to the starting point and BAM, eight minutes later we are done.

Most of my friends go to Singletree for breakfast but there are many places that are eager to see you. See the attached poster for those details. St. Patrick’s Day in Healdsburg takes a bit of planning and my favorite part are the dancers in the Plaza at Noon – 1:30, then a scheduled nap. The best food ever will be served at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM at separate venues.

I promise that it will be a beautiful day and you will be happy that you joined us. If you have questions then give me a call and I will help you if I can. Here is the full schedule for you. 

HOW DID THIS ALL START?

I don’t remember how long ago or the exact names or details but I am absolutely sure that this is exactly how St Patrick’s Day began in Healdsburg decades ago.

It was a St. Patrick’s Day like any other.  The usual day drinkers were at the B&B trading lies and baffled as to their bad run of Irish luck, but I digress. Bobby Carol and Virgil Teague looked at each other and said “We need a parade” They sat there in their usual style, each grinned and then looked at each other again and said, “that was the best parade ever.” They never left their stools.

The following year they were still there, but again I digress. Same people, same everything but a year later. Bobby Carol and Virgil Teague looked at each other and said, “We need a parade.” They then rose and walked to the door and I think somebody joined in. They returned to their stools, again in their usual style, each grinned and they looked at each other and said, “That was the best parade ever.” That was the First St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Healdsburg.

Patrons and friends had a good laugh about it all year joking about looking forward to the “Big Parade.” Well among them were some of my closest friends that were terrific party throwers and also great at getting folks together.

That next year about two weeks before the holiday the planning began. This time joined in as the “St, Patrick’s Day Parade” became a stroll to the plaza at 7:00 AM SHARP. I bet there were twenty or more and BAM, that is how it began.

The following years had Hal Wilkes, a champion bagpiper that had played after the parade while John Ballachy sang Danny Boy. John is an opera singer and if you are Irish he would make you cry. The following years had balloon arches crossing Healdsburg Avenue, fire trucks, fancy cars and a Queen. It has become quite an event and ALWAYS FAMILY FRIENDLY.

When my daughter was in third grade she wore a green derby covered with glitter to school. Her teacher asked her where she go the hat and Zoe told her that she found it on the pool table at the B&B Lounge that morning. Her teacher replied that she had been at the B&B Lounge before school also and she didn’t see any hats, awesome.

Please realize that this is a family event and all are encouraged to join.

THE FOOD

Bill Coleman, the owner of the B&B Lounge loves to cook and his crew can cook. There was a crew of eight cooks. I can picture all of them that would gather for a day and a half. They served hundreds of folks at 1:00 PM as was the tradition. Now a days they cook 700 pounds of the best corned beef you have ever had. Made and served with love to our community made strong by so many.

Neil Cronin and his crew at John and Zeke’s also presented a top notch feast at 4:00 PM and respectfully always played send string to Coleman whose passion for the day has always been clear. Our town is lucky to have great folks like this. Neil passed away several years back so Mike and Tony are now at the helm at J & Z’s maintaining that local feel and are the Dive Bar of The Year again this year for Sonoma County by popular vote.

Please check the attached schedule for all of the restaurants participating. If everybody that attends the free events could spend $15.00 each during the events that would go a long way in saving March for the businesses that took a big hit during the floods.

Now that my Kiwanis Club is funding a small part of the event you can see why I am so happy to share it with you.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE IN HEALDSBURG TRIBUNE ST. PATRICKS DAY 2019

Note: Bob Santucci is a local Realtor that is on the Board of Directors for the Healsdburg Kiwanis Club. He was a featured real estate columnist for Time-Warner ans his Father was a past owner of The Healdsburg Tribune. Bob Still writes these days but only posts to his local community.