How Knoxville's St. Patrick's Day parade busted records and made WalletHub's Top 20 list

Jack Coker

This year, the personal-finance website WalletHub released a report on the best cities for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The Scruffy City secured the No. 13th spot out of 200 cities, in no small part due to our unique parade.

“This year was hands down the best,” said Christy Watkins, co-founder of the Knox St. Patrick's Parade. She, Josh Turbyville and Chandle Turbyville started the now beloved parade back in 2017.

“We were at Clancy’s, having a pint, and Josh said ‘You know, we used to have a parade in the '80s,’ and we said, we should bring it back! Little did we know it would be so much work,” Watkins explained.

When the idea struck them, it had been 31 years since Knoxville was host to a St. Patrick’s Day parade, with the last one occurring in 1986. John and Pat McLaughlin started the St. Patrick's Day parade in the 1980s, in a similar fashion to the modern incarnation. After also discussing the topic at a bar, John set out a coin jar, which funded the first parade in 1981. Unfortunately, after John’s death, momentum to continue the parade fizzled out.

The Knoxville St. Patrick's Day parade March 16 was a huge hit, donating its proceeds to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.
The Knoxville St. Patrick's Day parade March 16 was a huge hit, donating its proceeds to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.

The two parades are intimately connected, however.

“Art Clancy Jr. honored us by being the grand marshal at the very first parade in 2017,” Watkins said. “Art Clancy Sr. was the first grand marshal of the parade in 1980. We honored Art Clancy Jr. this year since he had recentlypassed away. We also close with the McLaughlin family, who founded the parade.”

After having to cancel in 2020 and 2021 for COVID-19, and in 2022 for weather, the parade was back in full force this year with record attendance and participation. The festivities included more than 50 floats sponsored by local Irish families and businesses decked out in green.

Also in attendance was state Rep. Gloria Johnson, promoting her unusual dual campaigns for the Tennessee House and the U.S. Senate.

Besides promoting local businesses and generating foot traffic, the Knox St. Patrick's Parade also donates its proceeds to CCETN (Catholic Charities of East Tennessee). Watkins rightly boasted, “We have raised over $100,000 for CCETN since we started the parade back in 2017.

On a perfect day for it, crowds line Gay Street for the recent St. Patrick's Day parade.
On a perfect day for it, crowds line Gay Street for the recent St. Patrick's Day parade.

“They have programs for anybody of any age, from embryo to elderly, regardless of race, orientation or religion.”

The parade’s website sums up the mood of the day quite well:

“Several of Knoxville’s early founders were Irish immigrants or of Scots-Irish descent, and large numbers of Irish began arriving after the Great Famine of the 1840s. They built forts, railroads, churches, and saloons. They were mayors, aldermen, firemen, and police. Knoxville owes a lot to its Irish heritage. It’s time we celebrate that again. Erin go Bragh!"

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville St. Patrick's parade makes WalletHub's top 20 list

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