Road to 10 Years | Remembering the Knox St. Patrick’s Parade
Three years. Three cancellations. Then, one unforgettable Friday night.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, wishing, and wondering if we’d ever make it down Gay Street again, the Knox St. Patrick’s Parade finally returned on Friday, March 17, 2023.
And oh, what a night it was!
It was chilly. It was a Friday evening. And for our parade committee, it was downright emotional.
After COVID canceled our celebrations in 2020 and 2021, followed by a surprise snowstorm that derailed our 2022 parade, we had learned one thing: Never take a parade day for granted!
Even as the final preparations came together, some of us were still holding our breath. After three years of disappointment, could this really be happening?
As one committee member recalled, “I just remember not believing that it would actually happen! But it did!!”
And yes, there were tears. Lots of happy tears.
She’s Back, Y’all!
If there was one person who made our long-awaited return even sweeter, it was our Grand Marshal, comedian, University of Tennessee graduate and friend, Leanne Morgan!
Leanne had originally agreed to lead our parade in 2020. We were thrilled to have her then, but COVID had other plans. Fast-forward three years, and Leanne was still willing to celebrate with us. And we couldn’t have been happier!
Throughout parade week, Leanne was an absolute delight. Warm, gracious, funny, and incredibly accommodating, she made everyone around her feel special.
One committee member remembers Leanne repeatedly telling us, “I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
And she meant it.
Despite her increasingly busy schedule, Leanne gave us her time, her enthusiasm, and her wonderful Southern charm. She was joined on the Grand Marshal float by her daughters, Maggie and Tess, making the evening even more special.
For a committee that had spent three years trying to make this parade happen, having Leanne finally lead the way was the icing on the cake — or perhaps the shamrock on top!
Leanne flew out the very next day. What we didn’t realize was that she was headed to Los Angeles for a movie table read, and that she was preparing to announce her first Netflix comedy special!
Just weeks later, her special, Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman, would introduce her signature Southern humor to an even larger audience.
She had huge things on the horizon, yet she spent that chilly Friday evening celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with us in downtown Knoxville. That’s the kind of person Leanne is, and we’ll always be grateful.
A Parade Worth Waiting For
On March 17, the streets of downtown Knoxville finally came alive again with Irish spirit, music, laughter, and plenty of green. At 7 p.m., the parade stepped off, and after three long years, we were officially back!
For those of us who had worked behind the scenes, the evening represented so much more than a parade. It was a reminder of why we started this tradition in the first place: bringing our community together, celebrating Knoxville, and supporting CCETN.
Every parade participant, volunteer, sponsor, and spectator helped make our return possible. As we watched the celebration unfold, the emotions caught up with us. We laughed. We cheered. We cried.
Mostly, we were just so incredibly thankful that it actually happened.