AN IRISH CELEBRATION

9th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

Los Angeles - A parade celebrating Irish heritage and cultural diversity in the City of Angels, and an outdoor concert of lively traditional songs and modern rock music were all part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, March 17, 2008.

The ninth annual parade, presented by the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society, started at 11:30 a.m. at Olvera Street’s El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument and went south on Main St. to 5th St., then west to historic Pershing Square, where beginning at 12:30 p.m., the music of Young Dubliners added to the party to kick off the green workweek.

In addition to the concert, the water in the fountain at Pershing was dyed green, representative of what is done to the Chicago River each year on March 17. Food and beverage vendors were at the outdoor venue for this special lunchtime event, and O’Doul’s non-alcoholic brew were among the liquid refreshments available for purchase.

Pershing Square, a facility operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, is at 532 S. Olive St. For more information about the St. Patrick’s Day program and/or other events, call (213) 847-4970, or go to http://www.laparks.org/ (Special Venues, Pershing Square).

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jane Kolb: (213) 928-9294

Harvey Drut: (213) 928-9296