Pawtucket St. Patrick's Day Parade

Friends,

I know what you’re thinking, “Is it Saturday already?” Unfortunately, it’s not. However, I have some exciting news to share with you, so I’m breaking protocol this week. Pawtucket’s prodigal son returns home this weekend for the 41st St. Patrick's Day Parade.

I’ll be signing books following the parade at the after-party in the Drill Hall at the Pawtucket Armory Arts Center. For those who haven't been, the Armory is a stunning example of late 19th-century architecture and now serves as a hub for the arts community in Rhode Island. But what's even more exciting for me is that my mother, Alice Flanagan, is this year's Grand Marshal!

The parade begins at 12:00 pm on Saturday, starting at the corner of Division Street and South Bend, right next to my old junior high school, Jenks, where I valiantly battled the school bully in The Potato Puff Surprise. The route travels down South Bend to Walcott Street before heading downtown to Roosevelt Avenue and finishing at City Hall. The after-party at the Armory starts at 1:00 pm and runs until 5:00 pm. There will be plenty of food, live Celtic music, vendors, and, of course, Guinness. Lots of Guinness.

You can learn more about the festivities here.

I won't be in town for long, so Rhode Island friends, I better see you there!

-Tom