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St. Patricks Day Parade
From shamrocks to leprechauns to all things green, St. Patrick’s Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate with children. You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the holiday with your kids and to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. We’ve gathered a list of local festivities, an easy craft, and a tasty recipe to help you find the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the whole family!
19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 17th, 11:00am – 12:00pm, Front Street, Wilmington, NC 28401
Admission: Free
The 19th Annual Friends of Hibernians St. Patrick's Day Parade begins at Red Cross Street and North Front Street. It will then turn down Princess Street, head left on Water Street, ending as it makes its way towards the parade grandstand at Riverfront Park. The St. Patrick’s Day Festival will take place immediately following the parade. NOTE: Parade attendees are asked to drop off non-perishable food items at collection sites set up along the parade route. These items will be donated to the Good Shepherd Center's soup kitchen. For more information, visit http://www.wilmingtonstpatricksdayfestival.com
St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Saturday, March 17th, 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Riverfront Park between Market and Princess Streets, Wilmington, NC 28401
Admission: Free
The St. Patrick's Day Festival will take place immediately following the parade at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington. The festival will feature traditional Irish dancing performed by UNCW’s Slainte Irish Dance Group and the Walsh Kelly School of Irish Dance. In addition, there will be live music with Striking Copper and The Malones, cultural vendors, and food and beverages for sale. For more information, visit http://www.wilmingtonstpatricksdayfestival.com
4-Ingredient Lucky Charm Marshmallow Treats
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 bag of mini marshmallows (16 oz)
- 1 box Lucky Charms cereal (11.5 oz)
Directions:
Grease a 9x13in pan. In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Once melted, add mini marshmallows and salt, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows have melted, remove from heat and gently stir in cereal. Pour mixture into prepared pan and gently press so as not to crush the cereal or cause the treats to end up too hard. Allow to cool completely before cutting the treats into squares.
DIY Shamrock Stampers
Materials:
- green paint
- paper plate
- construction paper
- small paintbrush
- tape
- 3 wine corks
Directions: Gather the three wine corks up so that they make a flat top and then wrap a piece of tape around them to bind them together. Have your child dip one end of the corks into a bit of green paint from a plate. Stamp the corks against a piece of construction paper and press down hard. Use the paintbrush to add some shamrock stems to finish them off!
Another idea for a shamrock shaped stamper is to use bell peppers. By cutting off the top of the pepper and then pressing the larger part into green paint, your kids can stamp 4-leaf clovers onto their construction paper! After that they can use a paintbrush to add a little stem or lines inside to make it look more like a shamrock.