St. Patrick's Parade

Each year the parade had a different theme: "St. Pat Goes to the Olympics," "St. Pat Goes to the Movies," "St. Pat Goes West," "St. Pat Goes Back in Time." The parade officially opened the Festival and included floats, kazoo bands, the Queen candidates, and bands. St. Patrick himself was the parade M.C. He was usually a senior ceramic engineering student on the St. Pat Board whose identity was kept secret until the big day. He arrived in town a different way each year: mule, hearse, parachute, bathtub, oxcart, ambulance, brewery wagon, in a box mailed through the post office, canoe sailed up the Kanakadea Creek, etc.