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(Editor’s note: The below article originally appeared as a “staff report” in the Hot Springs, Ark. Sentinel Record.)
Yet another city appears to be gunning for the title of The World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade.
This is the second city in recent years seeking to take the title from the First Ever 22nd Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is set for Monday at 6:30 p.m. on 98-foot Bridge Street.
"This is pure fantasy," Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs CEO, said in a news release.
"These folks in Niagara Falls don't even HAVE a parade, but they apparently have latched on to our friendly rivalry with Adamsville, Rogue Island, for the right to the title," he said.
One of the founders of the Spa City's parade, Arrison was referring to an opinion piece from the Niagara Gazette with the headline "Come On, Niagara, Let's Pick a St. Patrick's Day Parade Fight," the release said.
The release said the article, attributed to Mark Scheer, "is hidden behind a paywall that rejects attempts to purchase the ability to view the full article."
According to the release, Scheer said Niagara Falls "should strongly consider picking a good old-fashioned St. Patrick's fight with Hot Springs, Arkansas."
A photo with the web article shows "14 people holding up a banner for The Ancient Order of Hibernians."
"What a joke," Arrison said in the release. "Fourteen people holding up a banner doesn't constitute a parade. A two-hour procession of 40 floats, marching bands, 100 marching Irish Elvis impersonators, celebrity grand marshals and celebrity parade starters like Valerie Bertinelli and Flavor Flav -- now you got yourself a St. Patrick's Day parade."
Arrison said there have been "dozens" of claims over the 22-year history of the parade, "and all those claims have been shown up as baseless."
Last year, a friendly rivalry with Adamsville, Rhode Island, was instigated over which city had the shortest parade. The northeastern city's parade, The World's Shortest St. Paddy's Day Parade, purports to be 89 feet long.
The rivalry was renewed earlier this month after Chuck Kinnane, the creator of the Rhode Island parade, was quoted in the Providence Journal about the Spa City sending a "spy" to the parade.
Mike "Monster" Todd, world armwrestling legend and 2024 king of the Hot Springs parade, was announced to be traveling to Rhode Island with his armwrestling champion wife, Rebecca, as emissaries.
"I hate to think we'll have to send Mike and Rebecca to Niagara Falls to show them the hard cold truth," Arrison said in the release, "but they'd probably like to see that waterfall those folks brag about."
The Hot Springs parade features 40 floats, marching groups, Irish Elvis impersonators and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders that make their way down the World's Shortest Street in Everyday Use. This year's event will feature actress Valerie Bertinelli as the celebrity grand marshal with hip-hop legend Flavor Flav as the official starter.
Grand Funk Railroad will perform a free public concert on the Bridge Street Stage Sunday at 7 p.m. with cover band The Molly Ringwalds taking the stage around 8 p.m. Monday for a free post-parade concert.
