The Fargo-Moorhead St. Patrick’s Parade: grassroots and very green

Culture | March 4th, 2015

By Brittney Goodman

The Fargo-Moorhead St. Patrick’s Parade elicits many memories for Kim Mahli, who has been involved since its inception in 1996: “This all began in people’s houses with a potluck and a few casseroles and kids running around.” Today, the family-focus and grassroots spirit continues. The parade is an annual downtown event, usually on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day.

The first parade that almost wasn’t

According to the all-Irish Brian Quigley, it was a group of enthusiastic volunteers that began “yacking about” having a parade, planning for March 1996. The first parade was run on a very low budget and marketed through word-of-mouth. Maggie Ringuette stresses that it was “grassroots to the max” and a small crew “hit the streets to get the word out.”

Fargo’s first St. Patrick’s Parade almost did not happen. It was scheduled for Saturday, March 16, 1996, but a big winter storm occurred and the police canceled it. As Brian Quigley said, “We couldn’t defy the police,” but they decided to reschedule it the following day, a Sunday. “This was before social media. Brian and I had to call all the participants on the phone about postponing till Sunday,” recalls Maggie Ringuette. Thus, the first ever parade was on Sunday, March 17, 1996.

The first parade had about 50 entries, including walking groups, floats and Irish families -- “clans.” The parade lasted only 20 minutes. The Fargo Forum reported hundreds of people came out to watch. Apparently, Fargo was hungry for an Irish parade.

Ellen Mahli has been involved since the beginning after her family moved to Fargo from Minneapolis-St. Paul, which has a rich St. Patrick’s Parade tradition. She said her kids missed the parade, and especially her son, Dan Mahli, who has been involved with the parade since 1996. “(He) kept asking me if we could have a parade in our neighborhood.” So when Dan was in second grade, “we had a little St. Patrick’s parade with bikes on Oak Park Drive.” Dan beams broadly when he talks about that little parade and putting green streamers on his bike for it. “Now the parade we have is considerably bigger,” he says, but we all have reason to believe Dan still puts streamers on his bike when he can.

You can’t stop a moving train

Trains have been an issue along the route, especially when it crossed the south tracks. Maggie Ringuette even “called the railroad several years to get the train to slow down.” (They didn’t). So volunteers would be on the tracks and blow a whistle to indicate it was okay to proceed. Kim adds, “Yes. It was very high tech.”

The parade route has fluctuated over the years, but Broadway has always been the spine. The current route starts in the parking lot behind Old Broadway on NP and goes north. Dan liked the years they tried a north to south route, because he wishes for “the wind to always be at my back.”

The 2005 official parade was cancelled due to scheduling issues, but an “unofficial” parade occurred. John LaChance, a bartender at Duffy’s Tavern at the time, helped organize “the shortest St. Patrick’s Parade in North Dakota,” where a group of 70 people walked around the neighborhood surrounding Duffy’s. This group included Jane Reff; her brother, Tom Conmy, III, in green pants and suspenders; and Brian Quigley, with his classic green suit jacket.

Financing has been a challenge. Growing pains for the parade included rising costs of insurance, permits and barricades. This has made fundraising crucial to the parade’s continuation. But the organizers still do not want a big corporate sponsor to come in and change the parade’s flavor. “We’ve had people wanting to take over, and they would have called it the Bennigan’s parade, but we have been adamant that this is not a corporate event -- it is the community’s parade,” Kim stressed.

Jack Sunday, KFGO radio host and veteran parade committee member, says “we are damn lucky it is even happening at all, since it is a grassroots committee of committed individuals keeping it going. But we like it that way.”

Due to social media and donations from local pubs and businesses, funding is becoming more solid. For the 2015 parade, the committee is even purchasing more Irish flags for Broadway with donated funds.

Love and Family

Love has blossomed during parade preparations. First up, Jack Sunday and Jane Reff met while planning the first parade. “But no moves were made,” Jack says. The longstanding couple are icons of the St. Patrick’s Parade and downtown Fargo. Second, Dan and Kim met during the 1996 parade planning process. Kim asserts the parade “has chronicled our relationship.” Four children and 10 years of marriage later, the Mahlis are going strong.

Families are the heart of the parade. “We want to keep the parade free, fun, and family-focused,” Dan says. Speaking of family, Dan’s mother, Ellen, has carried the St. Patrick’s Parade banner every year of the parade. Kim says, “Dan works on this parade to see his mother smile, and I do it for my kids.” Although many of the bars help sponsor the parade, there is plenty of family-friendly fun to be had, such as having hot cocoa and cookies at Josie’s Corner while warming up and watching the parade.

Memories

The parade committee, past and present, has fond memories, including those people who are no longer with us. Mike Mullaney is remembered for his kilt, his personality and music. Eithnea Killilea, a founding member of the parade planning committee, says in her very authentic Irish lilt, “I remember him fondly. I loved it when he had a violin and sang.” Everyone misses Jim Brodigan, known for dancing the Irish jig. And his family continues the tradition, as the Rasmussen/Brodigan family is one of the biggest clans in the parade.

Eithnea particularly has enjoyed the Civil War reenactment group, all of the veteran’s groups and honor guards, and “the pipers” (Heather and Thistle). She also talked about the importance of Brian Quigley. He mentioned the continued support of Jack Sunday over the years in getting press for the parade. Dan remembers when Sunday “would bring a microphone and do a remote, while he sat sit in his van and smoked.” I can picture that.

Jane commends “Downtown” Dave Anderson, former Downtown Community Partnership director who “took charge” of the parking lot and lineup on parade day. Jack adds, “We have been very lucky to have Dave Anderson on our committee.”

Jane recalls last year’s green cow entry, from the Beefsteak Club, “getting away” from the parade: “That was a hoot.” And everyone still talks about the Zamboni stalling in front of Sammy’s Pizza and having to go around it.

2012 was a big year for the parade. It was a record-breaking 72 degrees and the parade was actually on St. Patrick’s Day. Thus, a throng of people came out, many in shorts and short-sleeves. Jack calls the 2012 parade as the “biggest downtown event in Fargo history,” with an estimated 30,000 people.

Fun facts, minimal blarney

Tom Conmy, III, has been the only FM St. Patrick’s Parade Grand Marshal, although the honor has been offered to celebrities such as Conan O’Brien and Jon Bon Jovi.
Don’t be fooled by 4-leaf clovers. The 3-leaf shamrock is the proper icon. Ask Jane. She’ll tell you.
A festive button has been created every year of the parade.
The parade has always been free for participants.
Because the parade is scheduled the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, in essence, it gives the community two St. Patrick’s Days.

Next year will be the parade’s 20th annual celebration. The committee wants to make it a very big year, perhaps resurrecting St. Patrick himself or an attraction equally as noteworthy.

The parade planners rotate their meetings in pubs who have donated to the parade. There may be a Guinness or two involved. Also, on parade day itself, the committee is grateful to those who give their time, including the Fargo Police, EVAC, the Lyons Club, the Local 642 Fargo Firefighters, and others. To all who have helped, the committee raises a glass to you and says “sláinte mhaith!”

This year’s parade is Saturday, March 14. The Lake Agassiz Pacers are kicking off the parade with an adult race and children’s fun run: http://lakeagassizpacers.com. To register for free or donate to the 2015 parade, go to http://fmstpats.com. Dress in green and if you have a vehicle in the parade, please put some green on it – the more green the better.