Leprechauns, gold coins, Irish flags, vibrant parades and green everything. These are common features of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the Kansas City area that you can expect to see this year. A little known fact about Kansas City is that Irish heritage is the second largest self-identified ancestry in the area. The prominence of this heritage has led to the recognition of the Irish immigrants who helped makeKansas City the thriving hub that it is today.

In the mid-1800s, the towns of Westport and Independence were centers of commerce for those living in the surrounding areas and others that were traveling on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails. Irish immigrants living in these towns established themselves in the area through helping to build roads and railroads that developed the Kansas City area and connected it to the rest of the country.

Along with their role in establishing the infrastructure of Kansas City, Irish immigrants also brought their culture and heritage here through their food, music, dance and celebrations. One such celebration is St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional Irish celebration that occurs annually on March 17, the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday since around the ninth or 10th century. What began as a Roman Catholic feast day has now evolved into a worldwide celebration featuring parades, leprechauns and revelry. 

The Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is celebrating its 50th year with the theme of “50 Cheers to 50 Years” on March 17. The parade will feature a variety of entries that celebrate the Irish heritage through traditional music, dance and icons like the shamrock. Beginning at 11 a.m. at Broadway & Linwood, the parade route proceeds along Broadway and ends in Westport. 

Businesses along the parade route will be selling food and drink, so make sure to stop by some Irish-owned businesses in the area such as Browne’s Irish Marketplace. For those of age, you will be sure to find some hearty Irish-themed pubs throughout the metro such as O’Dowd’s at the Country Club Plaza, Kelly’s Westport Inn near the end of the parade route or McFadden’s Sports Saloon in the Power & Light District.

St. Patrick’s Day brings about a vibrant and celebratory environment to the Kansas City metro, so make sure to get out and enjoy the festivities before heading back to class after spring break!

According to the Kansas City Star, the “security measures are part of the district’s plan to improve public safety in an area that’s seen fatal shootings and other acts of violence. The Kansas City Council in December allowed privatization of some sidewalks in the entertainment district to allow these measures to be put in place.”

“Bloody August” was the term used to reference these spikes in shootings and acts of violence, with 17 people being shot in just two days. These constant acts of aggression caused safety to be a huge concern in places like Westport, and has been creating a fear of going downtown, especially for William Jewell College students.

“I go downtown to help in the elementary school one to two times a week… from stories I’ve heard or [have] read, it makes me nervous and uncomfortable,” said Jewel Arns, first-year elementary education major.

With the community suffering and fear of other acts happening, the city has decided that the plan of action to take is to provide better and more extensive security measures. Westport has set up a “pedestrian only” zone for the weekends, with several checkpoints.

Photo courtesy of Westport Regional Business League

There are several reminders and disclaimers around the area that disruption or acts of violence will not be tolerated. There is an age limit, which restricts anyone younger than 21 from coming to the area. This measure aids the curfew – another measure put into place to attempt to stifle the recurring acts of violent acts.

Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Star

Westport’s own website even has a separate tab for information on their safety and rules, including a list of all weapons prohibited from entry.

“[The rules put into place] are being done to promote safety in Westport in response to the world we live in today. Westport is proud to take a proactive measure to address safety so all can continue to enjoy the vast array of late night options in Westport – just like millions of others have done for more than 150 years,” Westport advertises.

“The feedback we have received has been positive and patrons were happy to have security screenings taking place as an added nighttime safety measure,” a spokeswoman for the Westport Regional Business League told The Kansas City Star.

With 170 plus homicides in the KCMO area in 2018 and counting, it is unclear whether the new security measures will make a difference. Yet, they are serving, so far, to comfort the community and provide the most amount of safety possible for citizens.  

Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Star.