Rain or shine, Snake Saturday festivities are back in North Kansas City this weekend
Snake Saturday began as a tradition to honor the myth of St. Patrick. According to Irish folklore, the saint drove the snakes away from Ireland in the 5th century.
Here in North Kansas City, it’s a tradition that began in 1983 from the mind of Mickey Finn. The celebration started as a promotion for the Rodeway Inn motel, and the parade occurred in the motel’s parking lot.
Since its inception, Snake Saturday has taken place the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, bringing North Kansas City together to celebrate. JD Green, the president of the Northland Festivals, expects this year’s Snake Saturday to be just as festive as years prior.
Green said that while the party is fun, the fundraising they do is what makes the parade special. They raised over $1.7 million in total for local charities over the parade’s 39 years, and parade publicist Mindy Hart said their goal is to reach $2 million.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday. The festival begins after the parade ends and runs until 3 p.m. Both the parade and festival will go on, rain or shine.
“It is an experience that will become a tradition,” Hart said. “There’s nothing else like it. It’s just a great time.”
WHAT ROADS ARE CLOSED?
The parade route goes from 10th Avenue to 14th Avenue along Swift Street and along 14th Avenue from Howell Street to Swift Street. These roads will be closed for the duration of the parade.
North KC public works will close all parking along the parade route before the parade starts on Saturday.
While there is no designated parade parking, they recommend parking in these areas:
Any public lot or street north of Armour Road
Any public lot or street south of 18th Avenue and East of Erie Street
Any public lot or street west of Clay Street
Public parking at the former NKC Pro Bowl located at 18th and Erie Street.
Fayette Street and E. 18th Avenue is also closed for the festival that happens after the parade comes to an end.
Green expects around 50-60,000 people to attend the parade and advises visitors to arrive early.
WHAT CAN I SEE ON THE PARADE?
Hart said the parade usually has more than 60 charities on floats and seven high school bands playing on the parade route. The charities are competing against each other to determine which group has the best float.
The winning charity receives $7,000 as a prize. The prize money comes from donations from the parade’s sponsors, such as North Kansas City Hospital, Worlds of Fun, Chicken ‘N Pickle and Harrah’s North Kansas City.
Each charity involved will receive a donation from the funds, which Green said is the best part of the parade.
“My excitement is when I get to get out there and give out the checks,” Green said. “Everything leading up to it is great, but when you’re at the awards ceremony and you see the excitement of the charities, that is when you see the culmination of everything that leads up to it.”
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?
The Friday before the parade is the charity cook-off. Nonprofit organizations sign up, and the winning organization receives $1,000 to use in any way to help their charity. Hart said that every charity that enters receives money, but didn’t say how much.
The festival after the parade features live performances, a petting zoo and a race car show by the Central Auto Racing Boosters. Check out the festival map here.
