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your homegrown newspaper March 22, 2023
Vol. 19, No. 27
Farm & Ranch Inside pg. 15
Family pg. 6
Ronan celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with parade traditions Story and Photos by Taylor Davison Valley Journal
Fundraiser pg. 12
RONAN — Crowds of families lined Ronan’s Main Street as the 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade rang in the start of spring. A warmer parade than the year prior, the sidewalks were crowded with onlookers. Kids clad in green and holding
plastic bags to gather candy shrieked in delight as a pair of red nosed clowns juggled pins and did tricks up and down the road to entertain them as they waited for the parade to start. The Ronan St. Patrick’s Day tradition started back in 1985 when a couple of Irishmen raised the Irish flag in front of the Ronan City Hall. The parade itself started in 1989 when w w w.va l le yj our na l.net
The Ronan Irish Community (TRIC) was established and has been a tradition every March 17 since. The police car siren that announced the parade’s beginning was met with cheers as the floats came into view. Displays from groups and businesses throughout the community from the Pheasant Lounge to the local 4-H chap-
ter painted the town green as they marched down the road. A horse with a green dye job drew a lot of attention from onlookers as well. This is a local tradition first started by Dennis Palmer in 1990 that’s been missing from the last few parades until someone new picked up the mantle this year. A green dog followed closely
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