JAFFREY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) With Manchester canceling its St. Patrick’s Day parade this year, organizers in Jaffrey say the Monadnock Region will host the state’s only celebration of its kind — and they’re preparing for bigger crowds as a result.

That message was front and center Tuesday morning when Steve Jackson, managing director of the Park Theatre, joined host Dan Mitchell on WKBK’s Good Morning With Dan Mitchell to preview the theater’s annual Shamrock Fest and the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

“This is the seventh annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and the fourth annual Shamrock Fest,” Jackson said during the interview. “Because Manchester canceled their parade this year, we will be the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in the state of New Hampshire.”

The parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15, beginning at St. Patrick Parish at 89 Main St. and traveling about three-quarters of a mile east along Main Street to Conant High School. Organizers say spectators can line up anywhere along the route, with a reviewing stand in front of the Park Theatre at 19 Main St.

Jackson said the theater will open at noon before the parade, offering food, drinks and live music from the band Grateful Dads.

“We’ll have hamburgers, chili and plenty of non-alcoholic drinks — and of course some Guinness and Murphy’s stout,” Jackson said.

Entertainment all weekend

The parade caps a multi-day festival hosted by the Park Theatre beginning Thursday.

The lineup includes a mix of films, comedy and live music with an Irish theme:

  • Thursday: A restored 4K screening of the fantasy film Excalibur at 6:30 p.m. and the concert film Riverdance 25 at 6:45 p.m.

  • Friday: Stand-up comedian Jimmy Dunn, known for appearing in the reboot of Frasier.

  • Saturday: A performance by Ishna, a New England contemporary Irish folk band, along with an afternoon Irish high tea featuring soda bread, tea sandwiches and desserts.

Sunday’s parade will feature marching bands, dancers, floats and community groups, including Conant High School’s marching band, the ConVal drumline from Peterborough and the New Hampshire Pipes and Drums band.

“You could come just to hear them and you’d have a great show,” Jackson said of the pipe and drum group.

Irish dancers from Massachusetts, fire trucks, floats and other traditional parade entries are also planned.

Honoring a longtime TV reporter

This year’s parade will also recognize a familiar face in New Hampshire journalism.

Former WMUR-TV reporter Ray Brewer has been named the parade’s first “yearly honor grand marshal,” Jackson said. Brewer retired from the Manchester television station in 2025 and now serves on the Park Theatre’s board of trustees.

“No one better to be a grand marshal than Ray,” Jackson said.

Jimmy Quinn, who helped found the parade alongside Kevin Hamsey, will serve as honorary grand marshal.

Family activities after the parade

Following the parade, families are invited back to the Park Theatre for a screening of Disney’s Darby O’Gill and the Little People, a 1959 film featuring one of Sean Connery’s earliest roles.

The restored film will be shown on the theater’s main screen with $5 tickets.

Jackson said the festival will continue through St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 with a “limerick slam,” where participants can perform original or traditional limericks for a chance to win a $150 prize.

Entries can be submitted online ahead of time, though organizers say submissions must stay “a shade clean.”

Planning for larger crowds

With Manchester’s parade canceled this year, Jackson said organizers are encouraging visitors to arrive early and explore the downtown before the parade begins.

“There’s ample parking,” he said, though he advised people to arrive early if traveling from outside the region.

He added that many area restaurants are also planning Irish-themed menus during the weekend.

“It’s just a wonderful Sunday afternoon with families and children,” Jackson said. “The smiles that we get along the parade route every year are terrific.”

More information about Shamrock Fest events and tickets is available at ParkNH.org.

Listen to the full interview: