St. Charles Group Picks St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal

The Downtown St. Charles Partnership on Monday announced that Rosie Martinez will serve as the 2013 St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshal.

In 2000, Martinez and 15 volunteers helped establish the first parade with the Downtown St. Charles Partnership, the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, and with cooperation from the city of St. Charles.

In 1998, Maurice McNally invited Rosie to leave Dublin, Ireland and help open McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub in St. Charles. In 1999, Rosie approached the city of St. Charles about organizing the first St. Patrick’s Parade. “I wanted to bring a piece of my culture to St. Charles and show how we really do it back home. We wanted to bring a piece of Ireland to St. Charles.” said Martinez.

Today, Martinez works as a hair dresser for Colour Line Hair Studio in Geneva and is still a part of the management team at McNally’s Irish Pub.

“McNally’s is more than we envisioned. It’s been a big ride, amazing clientele, and the town really embraced us. I love St. Charles. I live in Schaumburg, but I work in St. Charles and I bank in St. Charles. This is a great town with great people, 100 percent. I was accepted as one of their own, and for that I’m very lucky,” Martinez said.

The parade steps off at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 16, on Main Street, from 6th Street to 4th Avenue. Festivities also will feature a Deck Out Your Lucky Dog contest and a Dance Show at the .

Current parade sponsors include: McNally’s Irish Pub, the city of St. Charles, Advanced Disposal, Onesti Entertainment; Kane County Chronicle; Delnor Express Care; St. Charles Veterinary Clinic; Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center; AHC Advisors and Doc Morgan Inc.

The parade has drawn crowds of as many as 15,000 people from around the area. In addition to the parade, will feature bands, Irish dancers, authentic Irish music, floats, school groups, pre-schools, service clubs, and an array of floats.

For more information, visit www.DowntownStCharles.org, call the Downtown St. Charles Partnership office at 630-443-3967, or email info@downtownstcharles.org.

SOURCE: Downtown St. Charles Partnership