Tuesday, Mar. 19 2013 4:33PM
Emerald Isle parade a success
By Russ Pulley
rpulley@lsjournal.com
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ReprintA throng of people lined the parade route from Lee’s Summit High School down Green Street and past the Lee’s Summit train depot on Southeast Main Street March 16.
Executive Director Trisha Drape said the number of participants, about 1,100 walking or riding on floats was the same as last year.
Drape said she did not have a crowd estimate because of the difficulty of getting an accurate number and she didn’t want to give a misleading figure.
The second year for a traditional Irish breakfast at Mingle was busy.
“Breakfast was booming, streets were packed,” Drape said. “It was another successful parade.”
This was the eighth year for the parade, said Stacy Needels, events and marketing coordinator for the group.
“Considering the weather, I was surprised at the number of people who came out,” she said.
The day started dreary and cold, but brightened as the day went on.
Celebrity judges for parade entries were Curtis Jay, co-anchor of 41 Action News Today and Midday; E.J. Becker and Ellen Schenk, Lee’s Summit residents and hosts of Kansas City’s Morning News on Newsradio 98.1 FM KMBZ; Kelly Spencer, assistant vice president of marketing for Bank of Lee’s Summit; Steve Tominia, owner of downtown’s Cameron’s Home Furnishings and past board president of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street; and volunteers from the city, Steve Arbo, city manager, Joe Piccinini, police chief and Jim Eden, assistant fire chief.
Parade winners were:
• Best Marching/Dance Unit: O’Riada McCarty Manning Academy of Irish Dance
• Best Musical Entry: Kansas City Drum Tribe
• Best Float: City of Lee’s Summit Environmental Program
• Best Downtown Business Entry: Henry’s Antiques & Tea Room
• Best Use of Theme: Girl Scout Service Unit 649
• Most Unique: Lee’s Summit Garden Club
