St. Patrick's Day Parade Moving to Midtown

Post by **KCMax** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:10 am

St. Patrick’s Day parade leaving downtown for Westport

The Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a downtown fixture since 1974, is moving to Westport, and organizers hope to boost its Irish roots — and neighborhood merchants, too.

“Downtown was a great home for us for many years, but times are changing, and we felt this was a good time to try something new and embrace a part of the city where our roots are,” Erin Kiekbusch said Sunday.....

The symbolism also is important. The route will start at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a landmark church at 3333 Broadway that was built with stones cut by Irish masons.

“We felt like we wanted to look at our future and go back to having a neighborhood and community feel to the parade, make that our focus, which is really the heart of the Irish in Kansas City,” Kiekbusch said.

Tosspot · Post by **Tosspot** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:45 am

I wonder what the real reasons are.

Post by **WSPanic** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:55 am

I was thinking the addition of the P/L made the old, downtown route that much better.

I live in the area of the new route. Not looking forward to that mess.

loftguy · Post by **loftguy** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:03 am

Tosspot wrote: I wonder what the real reasons are.

Westport Merchants Association/Kelly's

Interesting strategic business move, but a vast blunder from a civic perspective.

The anti-downtown sentiment grows.

Post by **KCMax** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:39 am

With all the bad pub from a few drunken idiots and violent incidents a few years ago, I can't think Westport would be the wisest place to relocate the parade.

Post by **WSPanic** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:17 pm

KCMax wrote: With all the bad pub from a few drunken idiots and violent incidents a few years ago, I can't think Westport would be the wisest place to relocate the parade.

Westport is what it is on St Pats Day - a crowded, drunken mess. This will definitely intensify/exacerbate the situation. But, it seems silly to associate the random violence over the last year in westport with the St Pat's violence issues.

KCTigerFan · Post by **KCTigerFan** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:19 pm

Westport politiking pure and simple. Throw some cash as the Parade Committee and get it moved. That is life.

Tosspot wrote: I wonder what the real reasons are.

schugg · Post by **schugg** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:33 pm

I live at 34th and broadway so this is great.

aknowledgeableperson · Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:46 pm

loftguy wrote: The anti-downtown sentiment grows.

Talk about being paranoid. So I guess then you are anti-Westport.

I wonder if there are not as many people, or even more, who live/work downtown who are glad the parade has moved.

As is any decision made there are many factors that go into making the decision, with the big factor in this one being the Westport merchants.

Post by **DaveKCMO** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:53 pm

Tosspot wrote: I wonder what the real reasons are.

light rail on grand. LOL.

loftguy · Post by **loftguy** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:03 pm

aknowledgeableperson wrote: Talk about being paranoid. So I guess then you are anti-Westport.

I wonder if there are not as many people, or even more, who live/work downtown who are glad the parade has moved.

As is any decision made there are many factors that go into making the decision, with the big factor in this one being the Westport merchants.

Maybe it's just me, but you really are often a jerk.

Nothing paranoid about my post. Did you happen to note my mention of Westport Merchants?

The parade has been downtown since 1974 and it has been a day of profit, however crazy, for a lot of downtown restaurants and retail.

Anti-downtown as I observed can also be narrowed down to anti- Power and Light, but the sentiment spills over to include greater downtown in this "them against us" attitude when espoused by entrepreneurs from other parts of the city.

Oh, and in case you didn't get the memo. Downtown developers and businesses robbed the city fund, displaced widows and killed inner-city puppies.

AllThingsKC · Post by **AllThingsKC** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:28 pm

Tosspot wrote: I wonder what the real reasons are.

Cordish wouldn't let them walk down Grand. They said, "We own the sidewalks and the street!"

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:41 pm

I think the new route sucks. Half the fun of the parade was it being "downtown" and when the parade happens during the week, you can bet the crowds will be very small as most of the people that work downtown along the route will just stay in the office buildings.

Bad move.

It's time for Westport and the Westport Association to move on and accept the fact that there is a new entertainment district in town and it's much better than Westport which was a pretty sad nightlife district for a metro the size of this, not to mention, hard to control.

Westport businesses need to re-invent themselves and capitalize on the what Westport is trying to become; a great urban neighborhood, rather than continuing to try to destroy what is going on Downtown.

The parade will be back on Grand within two years.

AllThingsKC · Post by **AllThingsKC** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:09 pm

From the 2009 Prediction thread:

AllThingsKC wrote: • In an effort to compete with the P&L District, Westport will announce a new bar, or new event to help keep people visiting the area. Westport will try to re-brand itself as "new and exciting" rather than "classic and historic."

Post by **dangerboy** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:31 pm

Perhaps Cordish said "Get off my lawn" ? ?

LaurenKU · Post by **LaurenKU** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:56 pm

KCMax wrote: St. Patrick’s Day parade leaving downtown for Westport

The Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a downtown fixture since 1974, is moving to Westport, and organizers hope to boost its Irish roots — and neighborhood merchants, too.

“Downtown was a great home for us for many years, but times are changing, and we felt this was a good time to try something new and embrace a part of the city where our roots are,” Erin Kiekbusch said Sunday.....

The symbolism also is important. The route will start at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a landmark church at 3333 Broadway that was built with stones cut by Irish masons.

“We felt like we wanted to look at our future and go back to having a neighborhood and community feel to the parade, make that our focus, which is really the heart of the Irish in Kansas City,” Kiekbusch said.

Erin worked for Westport's Business Association for 2-3 years...

aknowledgeableperson · Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:57 pm

loftguy wrote: (1) Maybe it's just me, but you really are often a jerk.

(2) Nothing paranoid about my post. Did you happen to note my mention of Westport Merchants?

(3) The parade has been downtown since 1974 and it has been a day of profit, however crazy, for a lot of downtown restaurants and retail.

(4) Anti-downtown as I observed can also be narrowed down to anti- Power and Light, but the sentiment spills over to include greater downtown in this "them against us" attitude when espoused by entrepreneurs from other parts of the city.

(5) Oh, and in case you didn't get the memo. Downtown developers and businesses robbed the city fund, displaced widows and killed inner-city puppies.

(1) I guess when one speaks the truth one can be a jerk to some in the audience.

(2) When you say anti-downtown sentiment grows when nothing in the article says anything anti-downtown then maybe you are paranoid.

(3) Yes, retail and restaurants like it downtown but there is some sentiment against it, at least when I worked downtown.

(4) "Us against them", well that is the business world. It seems like your attitude is the Westports and the Plazas should just bow down and not compete against downtown or the P&L. These other businesses are trying to survive and if they can get some business then they should be free to fight for it. (Is this your paranoria showing through again, us vs them?)

(5) Partially true, the developers did rob the treasury

but just attempted to but did not succeed to displace widows and kill the puppies. On second thought maybe some widows were displaced, and will be displaced, when some of the residences were converted from rentals to owner units, or torn down in the past, and in the future.

Post by **WSPanic** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:25 pm

GRID wrote: I think the new route sucks. Half the fun of the parade was it being "downtown" and when the parade happens during the week, you can bet the crowds will be very small as most of the people that work downtown along the route will just stay in the office buildings.

Bad move.

It's time for Westport and the Westport Association to move on and accept the fact that there is a new entertainment district in town and it's much better than Westport which was a pretty sad nightlife district for a metro the size of this, not to mention, hard to control.

Westport businesses need to re-invent themselves and capitalize on the what Westport is trying to become; a great urban neighborhood, rather than continuing to try to destroy what is going on Downtown.

The parade will be back on Grand within two years.

I think you're right that the crowd's will definitely be down without the downtown work force joining in.

But, I don't see what you're problem is with the Westport Merchants Association. Regardless of how Westport reinvents itself as a cool urban neighborhood, it will ALWAYS be a mess on St. Pat's day. Many Westport restaurants/bars make a significant amount of their income on this one day. Why would they do anything BUT try and increase that one-day of revenue?

As far as downtown goes - shame on them and their merchants for not stepping up and doing something about this if it meant so much. You should be asking Cordish why they didn't do more to keep it, instead of whining about Westport stealing the parade.

kcdcchef · Post by **kcdcchef** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:04 pm

aknowledgeableperson wrote: (1) I guess when one speaks the truth one can be a jerk to some in the audience.

(2) When you say anti-downtown sentiment grows when nothing in the article says anything anti-downtown then maybe you are paranoid.

(3) Yes, retail and restaurants like it downtown but there is some sentiment against it, at least when I worked downtown.

(4) "Us against them", well that is the business world. It seems like your attitude is the Westports and the Plazas should just bow down and not compete against downtown or the P&L. These other businesses are trying to survive and if they can get some business then they should be free to fight for it. (Is this your paranoria showing through again, us vs them?)

(5) Partially true, the developers did rob the treasury but just attempted to but did not succeed to displace widows and kill the puppies. On second thought maybe some widows were displaced, and will be displaced, when some of the residences were converted from rentals to owner units, or torn down in the past, and in the future.

nice post akp. too many people on here want to see other parts of the city to die so downtown can thrive. the attitude, if you are an urban enthusiast, should be exictement for areas outside of kcmo proper to fail in exchange for an area of kcmo to thrive.

this parade may do better in westport, who knows. westport is holding its own in light of the p&l, actually doing a-ok. and the whole drinking atmosphere strill thrives off of westport road, so to think anything bad is happening to westport, is ludicrous. or, as some on here say, it was a shame a metro this large had westport as its club/bar/drinking area. shit, i have lived in cities larger than kc that had areas the same size as westport, get a grip!! the parade will draw similar numbers to westport, watch and see. besides, they beef up the estimates every year anyways.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:30 pm

I personally am kind of glad to see the parade go to Westport. It hasn't been the same since they stopped actually taking it into downtown. And downtown will be fine... there's plenty of us who like our downtown bars and don't want to mess with Westport. Plus there's no way P&L won't start up some new St. Patrick's Day tradition of their own.

I do agree crowds will probably be smaller on weekday parades, and I think that stretch of Broadway is seen by a lot of people as seedier than Grand.