Dixon’s St. Patrick’s parade will roll for the final time

DIXON — After 26 years of painting the town green, organizers of the annual St. Patrick’s parade and party in Dixon are hanging up their kilts.

The Rock River Valley Shamrock Club, which has been behind the fun, is citing a low number of volunteers as the reason for the breakup. The group’s final parade will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16, 2024.

“We’re basically out of people,” said charter member Phil Lahey. “Members have retired and moved out of town and people have other interests going on.”

Lahey, wife Dee and RRVSC members Dana Hoffman, Josh and Kristina Koehler, Tory Koehler and Mike Lahey met for the last time Wednesday, March 6, to put the final touches on the parade and after party. If there were bitter feelings about seeing the end of an era it was hidden by the sweet memories of parties past.

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2005 File: Members of the Sheridan clan march through Dixon. (Alex T. Paschal - apaschal@shawmedia.com)

Phil and brother Mike regale tales of the rivalry between the Cahill and Lahey clans, who roasted each other with effigies and floats in the parade. “My mom wouldn’t let us do it the first year, she didn’t want us to insult her friend, but they came out and dissed us bad so it was on,” laughs Phil. “My favorite has to be the Kiss My Cahill float, complete with a donkey with big lips.”

The Cahills countered with a likeness of Mike passed out in an outhouse and another of the three Lahey brothers, Dave, Phil and Mike, in jail.

Some of the best parades happened when the large Irish families would attend and march together. The Sheridans, Burkes, Clearys and the aforementioned Cahills and Laheys represented their heritage well.

But what good St. Patrick’s celebration is without its shenanigans? Phil tells the story that one year some pilot friends streaked smoke across the sky at the start of the parade. Pretty soon then-police chief Bob McCoy made a call to the party: “Is Mike around? Some lady called and said somebody’s spreading anthrax around the river.”

“I forgot to inform the police on that one,” chuckles Mike, who seems to often be at the forefront of much of the tomfoolery. No actual leprechauns were harmed in the next tale when a beard caught fire on one of the floats or another time when the group welded a giant spud in a member’s garage only to have to dissemble the titanic tater because it was too large to exit the structure. Another clan’s float got side-eyed by the cops for their working beer taps – root beer taps. All was good.

Mischief aside, the group’s goal was pretty simple, Phil explained: “Have fun and make enough money to put on the party the next year.”

Along with that, the club has always accepted canned food and money to be donated to the food pantry, as the club is again this year. With one week to go, the RRVSC invites all families, firetrucks and anyone who wants to march in the parade. There is no fee. Line up at 1 p.m. at Dixon High School, step off at 3 p.m. The parade will end with a corned beef and cabbage meal and party at the KayCee Club, where Irish band Three Pints Gone will play from 5-9 p.m.

As the days dwindle to the end of a 26-year journey, Phil summons up one last thought.

“That’s all folks.”