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Going Irish in Detroit's Corktown
by Jennifer Berkemeier
You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon in Corktown in mid-March, especially on Sunday the 14th. So says Dennis Hayes, President of the United Irish Societies in Detroit. The Society has been sponsoring the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood for the past fifty years, just shy of the fifty-two years the parade has been in existence.
Corktown, famous for its cobblestone streets, renovated row houses, Irish pubs and the old Tiger Stadium, is also the oldest neighborhood in Detroit. The Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840’s drove many Irish to emigrate away from their homeland; a preponderance of émigrés from County Cork settled in Detroit, which is how the neighborhood got its name.
Today, this friendly and picturesque area boasts colorful streets, the Gaelic League, and plenty of Irish reminders from the past. Because of its ideal location just outside of downtown on Michigan Avenue, it has become a popular destination for many other ethnicities, and the area has become a microcosm of the great melting pot; large concentrations of Maltese, African-American, Polish and Hispanic now also call Corktown home.
There is one day out of every year though when most residents and visitors to Detroit consider ourselves Irish, at least for a few hours. This year it falls on Sunday March 14th, when Corktown proudly kicks off the fifty-second annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 2:00 PM.
Come a little early to beat the estimated 100,000 spectators expected at this yearly fun-filled family event. What’s the best part of the parade? For Hayes, it’s the fact that this parade is “non-exclusive” and opens its arms to all ethnicities. He loves to look around him when the parade kicks off and see families and friends just “having a ball on this joyous day”.
This true celebration features floats, marching bands, six different bag piping groups, Irish Pubs and local colleges. Hayes says in all the years they have been sponsoring the parade, it’s always been a positive experience and the event remains one of the truly unique and friendly ways to spend an afternoon of discovery and excitement in Detroit.
The parade itself typically lasts about two and a half hours, but there is no need to rush back to your car and head home. Why not stick around for a while, or come back on St Patrick’s Day, and enjoy the tastes and sounds of one of popular local establishments like Nemos, Corktown Tavern, or PJ's Lager House? Corktown will put a smile in your Irish eyes.
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Writer and photographer, Jennifer Berkemeier resides in Farmignton Hills and works in downtown Detroit. Discover more of her amazing photographs at www.Jenandhercamera.com
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