St. Patrick’s Festivities Have Parade of Celebrants

David Espy stuck shamrocks on his cheeks while Jackie Shannon sported emerald pants and a green-scripted shirt. But Tim O’Neil, in a spirited fit of Irish pride, pulled out all the stops--he dyed his hair and beard a piquant green.

They were among the thousands of verdantly clad celebrants who turned out in downtown Ventura on Saturday to watch the ninth annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“You have to get in the spirit for this,” the 52-year-old O’Neil said, stroking his green goatee and straightening a broad-brimmed Irish derby. “This is the one day I can be totally, 100% Irish.”

The parade was followed by a festival in Mission Park featuring food, performances, shopping and music. The festival continues from noon to 5 p.m. today.

“The great thing about St. Patrick’s Day is that you don’t have to be Irish to celebrate it,” said Espy of Ventura as the Santa Paula High School band marched by. “That’s why it’s so popular and you see so many people here.”

Saturday’s parade, which began at the San Buenaventura Mission and ran nearly a mile, featured more than 70 groups and organizations that competed for awards.

The sweepstakes award, named for parade co-founder Arnold Hubbard, went to the Claddagh School of Irish Dance. Other winners included the Oxnard High School marching band and the McLaughlin family, which took top honors in the pioneer family category.

“This is the best parade the town’s ever had,” said Tom Steinbroner of Ventura, who brought his family to the festival. “It keeps getting bigger every year.”

This year’s festival theme, “Out of Ireland,” honored the scores of Irish immigrants who escaped famine and political tyranny in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and made their home in Ventura County.

Many participants traced their heritage to those immigrants. The parade’s pioneer family category drew 11 entries, including the approximately 50 descendants of Thomas and Winifred Thompson, who came to Ventura County in 1879.

Collectively, the more than 200 descendants served as the parade’s grand marshals.

But the parade wasn’t just about Ireland and the immigrants who forged a better life for themselves in America. It also celebrated the importance of the county’s cultural diversity.

In addition to the floats crowded with Irish families and decorated with arches of green balloons and banners, there was Grupo Folclorico Mixteca, which dazzled parade watchers with traditional Mexican folk dances and vibrantly colored outfits.

Later, a group of country-western line dancers from the Country Lovers Dance Club sauntered hand in hand down the street, stomping on the asphalt and twirling to the twangy rhythms blaring from a loudspeaker.

And spectators laughed as the Buena High School band played “Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” while a group of scruffy cowboys on horses from the Two Fingers Ranch followed with 12-packs stuffed into their saddlebags.

“The parade is just getting more interesting every year,” O’Neil said. “This year I think was the best, because we had so many different groups participating.”

After the hourlong procession, many of the spectators made their way to Mission Park to sample traditional Irish fare and enjoy numerous festival activities.

“This is kind of your typical hometown type of festival, where everybody knows each other,” said Heidi Steinbroner. “That’s what makes this so much fun.”

Under the shady boughs of the park’s towering fig tree, a gaggle of vendors peddled everything from temporary Celtic tattoos to jewelry to macrame bags and backpacks.

Three stages featured music straight from the land of leprechauns, including ancient Gaelic ditties and traditional Irish folk tunes.

And children crowded into the petting zoo to play with a llama, miniature horse and donkey, while adults washed down their corned beef sandwiches with glasses of thick Irish stout.

Ron Selig, who shared a sandwich with his 3-year-old son, Blake, said his kids had never seen a parade.

“We came because the kids would enjoy it,” the 33-year-old Port Hueneme resident said. “And they just loved it.”

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St. Patrick’s Parade Winners

Pioneer families: 1st, the McLaughlin family; 2nd, the Scarlett family; 3rd, the Clark family.

Equestrian show horse: 1st, the Clark family; 2nd, the J.D. McGrath family; 3rd, Sharon and Jennifer Lindsay.

Commercial equestrian: 1st, Wells Fargo Stage Coach; 2nd, Associacion De Charos; 3rd, KHAY, 100.7 FM.

High school marching band: 1st, Oxnard High School; 2nd, Santa Paula High School; 3rd, Buena High School.

Junior band: 1st, Ventura Boys & Girls Club; 2nd, De Anza Middle School.

Adult band: 1st, Los Angeles District Pipe Band; 2nd, Santa Barbara Elks Drum and Bugle.

Color Guard: 1st, 146th Airlift Wing; 2nd, 187th Airborne; 3rd, Marine Corps League No. 597.

Commercial vehicles: 1st, Ventura County Health Mobile Unit; 2nd, Honda of Oxnard; 3rd, Skate Street.

Antique vehicle: 1st, Ventura Model A Club; 2nd, Noel C. Kelly; 3rd, Ventura Vintage Rods.

Individual vehicle: 1st, Raleigh Perry; 2nd, Garry Kraft; 3rd, Hemi Anderson.

Junior clubs and organizations: 1st, Girl Scouts; 2nd, Junior Fair Board; 3rd, Ballet Folclorico.

Adult clubs and organizations: 1st, Therapy Dogs; 2nd, Angels Unlimited; 3rd, St. Patrick’s Committee’s Green Pig.

Media clubs and organizations: 1st, KHAY; 2nd, the Ventura County Reporter; 3rd, KVEN.

Commercial clubs and organizations: 1st, Claddagh School of Irish Dance; 2nd, Ventura Power Squadron; 3rd, Ban-Dar.

The Perpetual Arnold Hubbard in Memorial Trophy Sweepstakes: Claddagh School of Irish Dance.