St. Patrick's Day Festival kicks off first of many events this spring

SIKESTON — The annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in Historic Downtown Sikeston returns Saturday, March 16, bringing in the first of many springtime festivities in Sikeston.

According to Jason Davis, executive director of Historic Downtown Sikeston, this is a much-anticipated event.

“This is really the first outdoor event coming out of the winter, so it is always a great time to see faces from the community that you have not seen,” Davis said. “The live music has always been a favorite of mine. I am always amazed at the local talent from Southeast Missouri. It does seem most people really enjoy sampling the homebrewer’s creations. Some of the flavors are very interesting.”

Davis said the event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. March 16 at the American Legion Park in downtown Sikeston, and the homebrew competition will return this year with all of the familiar favorites.

“The event will consist of live music, a cornhole tournament, almost a dozen home brewers to sample, a costume contest and kids activities,” Davis said. “The event will also be selling hot dogs and brats so bring your entire family and your appetite.”

There will be food trucks at the event, and attendees will receive souvenir mugs upon purchasing a ticket. The entry fee is $15 for anyone 21 or older, with children entering for free.

According to Davis, the St. Patrick’s festival committee members are always concerned about the weather. 

“The last couple of years, it has been quite chilly,” Davis said. “We are hoping this year is a little warmer, but we have learned that the patrons are resilient and they love this event, no matter if it is rain or shine, cold or hot. So we suspect our St. Patrick’s festival patrons will be here regardless.”

According to Davis, the committee is also grateful to its presenting sponsors, Grant Financial Management and the Sikeston Jaycee Crawfish Boil. 

“They made it possible for us to have “Keyed Up” as our band this year. They are a local favorite in the area. They played last year at our Music in the Park Summer Concert Series, and we quickly realized we needed to book them for this event.”

Davis said the event benefits Sikeston in many ways including just getting people downtown. 

According to Davis, the event is a huge benefit because it allows the downtown merchants to shine. 

“They do a great job at representing downtown and serving the citizens in our area,” Davis said. “Second, it provides another great opportunity for entire families to come downtown and enjoy being outside.

Davis continued: “Third, this event helps raise funds to further the work in downtown Sikeston. It serves as one of our key fundraisers, so when you come to this event, not only are you having a fun time, but you are investing in our downtown district.”

According to Davis, individuals who want to be a vendor must pay a $25 fee. Vendor applications may be requested by emailing Davis at director@downtownsikeston.org

Tickets can be purchased at the event gate or by contacting Historic Downtown Sikeston, First State Community Bank, or the Sikeston Regional Chamber to buy a ticket in advance.