History

History

Appropriately enough, the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade history begins with an Arkansan of Irish descent sharing a few pints of malted beverage with some friends. As the pub where they had gathered was situated on the World’s Shortest Street in Everyday Use — Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas’, Bridge Street, the conversation evolved into a question of how to use Bridge Street’s 98-foot length to attract visitors to Hot Springs.

Naturally, it was the Irish descendant who suggested organizing the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade on the street.

That was 2003, and The First Ever First Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held on March 17, 2004 and it made St. Patrick's Day Parade history. A few thousand people gathered for fun and frivolity in the heart of America’s First Resort and it became a St. Patrick's Day tradition in Hot Springs.

First Ever 14th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade

After the first parade attracted national attention, a couple of other groups maintained that they had shorter parades. Research showed that one of the challengers wasn’t so much a parade as a bunch of people wandering around in a city park. The Hot Springs parade organizers notified the second challenger that the title would remain in Hot Springs even if the Arkansas Parade participants had to march in place — or even march backwards — to keep its designation as World’s Shortest.

In the interim, many things have been added to the parade and the crowd has grown to more than 30,000 fun-lovers.

The Arkansas Blarney Stone, reportedly discovered by a leprechaun in the forests that surround Hot Springs, was placed on display in front of the Hot Springs Convention Center in 2006, and is now the scene of the annual Blarney Stone-kissing contests known as Romancing the Stone.

In 2008, a Parade King and Queen were chosen by a secret committee of the original parade organizers, and that has now become an annual St. Patrick's Day tradition in Hot Springs.

Grand Marshals

JUSTIN MOORE 2023

CHEECH MARIN 2022

POP-UP 2021

PARTY OF ONE 2020

Ralph Macchio 2019 Shortest St. Pats Grand Marshall | Hot Springs, AR

RALPH MACCHIO 2019

Joey Fatone

JOEY FATONE 2018

ALFONSO RIBEIRO 2017

Kevin Bacon 2016

Mark Martin 2015

Grand Marshal Jim Belushi

Jim Belushi 2014

Bo Derek & John Corbett, 2013

Bo Derek & John Corbett 2013

Tim Matheson 2012

John Corbett 2011

Bo Derek 2010

John Ratzenberger 2009

Mike Rowe 2008

Mario Lopez 2007

Pauley Shore 2006

George Wendt 2005

Bob Wheeler 2004

Dick Kelley 2004

Parade Starters

CHRIS MCDONALD 2023

DANNY TREJO 2022

TWITCH 2019

JON HEDER 2018

RIC FLAIR 2017

GARY BUSEY 2016

THE SWON BROTHERS 2015

MOUNTAIN MAN 2014