The second annual Glenside St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is coming to Keswick Village on Saturday, March 21.
Organizers say this year’s parade will feature more than 60 participants, including elaborate floats, marching Irish wolfhounds, the Brian Boru Pipe Band and the Greater Kensington String Band (two of the hottest Irish bands on the Philly circuit), performances by local high school musicians, and a possible appearance by the state championship-winning Abington Senior High School boys’ soccer team.
On the festival side, Irish-themed vendors, food trucks, and merchandise will be complemented by multiple beer gardens. Family-friendly activities can be found alongside 14 musical acts across four stages, each of which is named after counties in Ireland: The Dublin Stage, The Galway, The Tyrone, and the Cork.
Committee member Colleen McDermott said she’s already sensing a buzz in the neighborhood.
“My neighbors in Ardsley are beyond excited. We’re even hearing things from Jenkintown and surrounding areas. Everywhere I go, I see green lights up,” she said. “I love seeing the area become well decorated for the holiday.”
Entertainment
The day’s entertainment begins at Glenside Memorial Hall (185 S Keswick Avenue, Cheltenham Township) with live Irish music from 9:30am-11:30am. The festival officially begins at noon with most stage entertainment starting at 12:30pm, organizers said.
“We’re so happy to have included Cheltenham Township in our parade and festival plans this year,” committee member and longtime Irish musician Bill Donahue said. “We hired a couple of very popular Irish session musicians to lead the music, and all Irish musicians are encouraged to attend and play.”
Donahue, the only committee member slash performer, is taking on multiple sets with multiple instruments. For his opener with the Derry Brigade, he’ll play Irish bouzouki and vocals alongside his brother, Brendan, on Irish whistles. Their father, Bill Donahue, Sr., would normally be on the Bodhran (Irish drums), “but he is the co-Grand Marshal with my mother so he will be tied up for our gig,” Bill Donahue, Jr. said.
(You can find the Derry Brigade from 12:00pm-12:30pm on the Dublin stage in front of Penny’s Flowers. The Shantys, with whom Bill Donahue, Jr., has performed Irish whistles and vocals for over 20 years, will play from 1:00pm-2:00pm on the same stage.)
The Route
“We’re starting at Renninger Park and we end at Glenside Weldon. It’s sort of a flip flop from last year,” Noreen (Donahue) McAleer, a Glenside native and committee president (and Bill Donahue’s sister), said.
The Timing
Last year’s parade took place nine days before St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s holiday falls on Tuesday, March 17, and a decision was made to go slightly deeper into the calendar.
Bill Donahue said the motive was “to have an abundance of band availability for our festival portion of the day. March is front-loaded with gigs leading up to Saint Patrick’s Day.”
“The parade committee saw other towns in other areas have very successful parades on the weekend after Saint Patrick’s Day,” he said, noting that Yonkers, New York schedules their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade for the Saturday following the holiday.
“We actually mimicked this model with our decision. The availability of some of the top Irish bands in our area literally came down to choosing the weekend after Paddy’s Day,” Donahue said. “Through community sponsors we were able to offer additional spots to include the Brian Boru Pipe Band and the Greater Kensington String Band.”
The Details
2025’s inaugural run drew roughly 100 local sponsors and upwards of 8,000 attendees.
“No one was expecting last year’s crowd, so this year, we have more porta-potties, more police officers, and more beer,” McAleer said. “We also found some cow towers which will help with cell phone signals.”
McDermott said over 10,000 attendees are expected this year, which brings a share of new challenges.
“A lot had to take place in terms of the township, security, and so forth. As the attendance expands, we have to be careful. Navigating that was a little tricky,” she said.
2026’s expenditures come to roughly $60,000 in total, doubling 2025’s. McAleer said the lion’s share of those payouts are supported by local businesses, and organizers are still seeking sponsors to reach their fundraising threshold. To serve as the event’s sponsor, you can click here.
“Our sponsorship structure is a little different this year, and we’ve been able to get businesses large and small involved,” McDermott said. Keswick Tattoo, for example, will be offering an “Irish flash special” in the form of St. Patrick’s Day tattoos from 12:00pm – 8:00pm. Throughout the day, Giuliano’s Deli will have a special Irish-themed sandwich for sale, and Rocky’s Deli will offer “Rock O” muffins.
2026 will again feature the “Spirit of the Parade” award, given posthumously in honor of a Glenside resident. The inaugural award went to Glenside Gardens’ float.
“They put a lot of time into creating that. I’m really curious to see what those neighbors will come up with this year,” McAleer said.
“All of this started as a brainstorming session during a KVBA meeting. We all kind of hit the ground running in our own areas of expertise. The key was communication and lots of meetings,” McDermott said. “This year, we have a playbook from what we learned last year.”
The Team
[Image and section below submitted to Glenside Local by the committee]
In addition to funds raised, the parade and festival are powered by a committee of local volunteers and business owners who work behind the scenes year-round.
The committee oversees everything from parade operations and vendor coordination to sponsorship outreach, marketing, entertainment booking, and coordination with township and safety partners. Many members of the current committee have been involved since the inaugural 2025 parade and have continued meeting regularly to expand and strengthen the event.
The committee includes several well-known Glenside-area business and nonprofit leaders, including Noreen McAleer of Cummins School of Irish Dance, Colleen McDermott of Marry Me Philadelphia and Keswick Collective, Tim McCloone of William R. May Funeral Home, Linda Gerhard of Gerhard’s Appliances, Jen Eyre of Foehl & Eyre Law Offices, Tom Hendel of Tom Hendel- Keller Williams, and Jamey Piggot of the ALS Hope Foundation.
“Glenside is so thankful to have two great townships to support our community,” Piggot said. “Both the public works and the police departments continue to rise to the occasion to ensure a safe, secure, and fun environment.”
McDermott and Gerhard lead vendor operations, while sponsorship outreach is handled by a team including McDermott, Hendel, Eyre, and Noreen Rose. Bill Donahue manages entertainment and musical bookings and also created the official parade logo. Bill and Debbie Donahue oversee parade merchandise, including design, ordering, and sales. Additional support comes from committee members handling communications, township coordination, community relations, and ongoing planning.
“It is an honor to be part of this amazing committee again,” Hendel said. “We have been working around the clock to bring Glenside the St. Patrick’s Day Parade that it deserves!”
“Everything’s falling into place. Everyone in Glenside seems to be really hyped,” McAleer said.
Key Sponsors
Stateside Brands and the Freed-Givnish Funeral Home in Glenside are this year’s Emerald sponsors.
“Our trademark is always give back to the community. It’s who and what we are,” said John Givnish, president of Life Celebration by Givnish and co-owner of the Freed-Givnish Funeral Home in Glenside. “Many of our employees are from Glenside and Irish. It was just a natural fit.”
“Stateside Brands was built locally and is proud to partner and support the people and businesses of Glenside that have built our company over the years,” said Jim Romano, CFO of Stateside Brands and a Glenside resident. “We look forward to many more years of working together to advance the local community.”
Linda Gerhard, the festival’s chairman, coordinates vendors, food trucks, beer trucks, and works with local businesses throughout the year.
“Gerhard’s Appliances is proud to be deeply involved in the event. This is truly a team effort,” Gerhard said.
“Our entire Gerhard’s Glenside staff is involved in one way or another—volunteering, supporting logistics, and helping behind the scenes—because we care deeply about this community,” she said. “Events like this are what make Glenside special, and we are honored to play a role in bringing neighbors, families, and local businesses together.”
As a thank you, organizers are hosting a VIP Sponsor Party at Keswick Collective, along with an exclusive sponsor viewing area for select sponsorship levels.
“I’m looking forward to the VIP party. We’re expecting 60-ish people to come in throughout the day,” McDermott said. “Stateside Vodka is one of our new sponsors, and their owner lives in Glenside. They’ll be providing most of our alcohol. At the intersection of Abington, Kenmore and Oakdale, we’re having a spectator section with bleachers and a VIP area for our sponsors.”
Glenside St. Patrick’s Day Association fundraising events, photos courtesy of Colleen McDermott
“The committee credits the continued support of the Glenside community and local businesses for helping make the parade possible and looks forward to another successful year,” Gerhard said.
Home/Business Decorating Contest
Last but not least, organizers are again hosting a house/business decorating contest. Voting will take place the week of March 16.
More details in the flyer below:
More details about the Glenside St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival can be found on the event’s official website and the Glenside St. Patrick’s Day Association’s Facebook page.
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Photos: Glenside St. Patrick’s Day Association | Disclosure: Gerhard’s Appliances and Life Celebration by Givnish are advertisers of Burb Media, which is the parent company of Glenside Local