The annual Chicago Working Families Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, founded by a collaboration between the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Clear Ridge Men’s Social Athletic Club, is set to kick off once again at noon on Saturday, March 14.
The Archer Avenue parade began in 2015 and its history reveals a few route changes along the way.
“For years, we marched in the [St. Patrick’s Day] parade downtown,” said James Sweeney, president and business manager for Operating Engineers Union Local 150. “Then it was moved to Lake Shore Drive and it became a cold parade because it was right on the lake.”
At that time, the parade ended abruptly, causing union members’ children to be separated from their families in the crush of the downtown parade’s celebrants. So, both IUOE Locals 150 and 399 ended their participation.
After a year without an event for children, the union locals reached out to then-23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski, who served from 1995 to 2018, and received permission to host their own parade to re-establish a family connection, he said.
The first parade route was just over half a mile beginning at Kennedy High School and ended at St. Daniel the Prophet Church with a few families, a Local 150 float and “a bunch of Boy Scout marchers, like a lot of parades you see in the city started by a little group.” said Sweeney.
The parade grew from a small lawn-chair audience, many of whom were families of police, firefighters and city workers, into the event it is today. The tradition of honoring fallen police officers and firefighters also began at this time.
The 2026 parade will again honor fallen police officers and firefighters. Proceeds will again benefit the Back the Vest Program and the Ende, Menzer, Walsh & Quinn Retirees’ Widows’ & Children’s Assistance Fund for fallen Chicago firefighters.
Proceeds from last year’s parade allowed IUOE Local 150, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, and the Chicago Laborer’s District Council to donate $60,000 to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and the EMWQ Retirees’ Widows’ & Children’s’ Assistance Fund.
“The continued theme of the parade is to acknowledge those sacrifices,” Sweeney said. “I’d also like to note that as the (Archer Avenue) parade grew, we were quickly joined by other labor unions. Two of note are Chicago laborer’s unions, courtesy of the Chicago Laborers District Council and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, Local 134.”
The southwest suburbs also send police and fire parade participants as well.
The family-friendly parade’s focus remains on neighborhood children, with Girl Scouts, Clear Ridge Little League players, the Shriners’ Motorcycle Brigade, a bagpipe band, Irish dancers, floats and more, according to Sweeney.
“We’re getting close to rivaling [in size], Beverly’s South Side Irish Parade,” he added. An estimated 90 units took part in last year’s parade.
For attendees, the parade route begins at Archer and Oak Park avenues and ends at South Merrimac Avenue.
“I’ve been in Garfield Ridge since my wife and I have been married for 47 years,” Sweeney said. “Ours is a neighborhood of different ethnic groups and everybody comes out to celebrate St. Patrick. It’s also about who we’re celebrating and raising money for.”
For more information, go to: https://archerave-stpatricksparade.local150.org/