Atlanta’s St. Patrick’s Day parade – started by the city’s Hibernian Benevolent Society (a Catholic and Protestant fraternal organization) – dates back to 1858, making it one of the country’s oldest.
Participation in the parade is not just an “Irish thing”. The parade attracts individuals and groups from around the city and the South including clowns, floats, bands, Bagpipe & Drum Corps, children, dancers, drill teams, and more. All groups are encouraged to participate as long as their unit is appropriate for a “family” event. The emphasis is on children and families in celebration of all of Atlanta’s diverse backgrounds on a day when “everybody is Irish.”