Sober St. Patrick's Day to march in NYC's parade for the first time ever

The Sober St. Patrick's Day organization is celebrating being one of only two new affiliated organizations invited to march in the 2022 NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“I have been dreaming about this day for 10 years, and we are grateful to the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee for this remarkable invitation," William Spencer Reilly, Founder and Chairman of Sober St. Patrick's Day, said.

“I am honored, thanks to our board member, Fr. Tom Hoar, president of Enders Island Retreat Center, Mystic, Conn., that Sober St Patrick's Day will be led by our Sister City with the St. Edmund’s Pipes and Drums Band.”

Parade Chairman Sean Lane is delighted to have the group march this year for the first time. He said: “We would like to welcome Sober St. Patrick’s Day as a new parade affiliate this year. They will help us fulfill our mission of celebrating Irish faith, heritage, and culture, with the good work they do to serve the community."

Registration is required to march with Sober St. Patrick's Day in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade. You can sign up online here.

We're excited #SoberStPatricksDay will be marching for the first time in NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade! We invite you to join us!

You don't need to march in order to come to the post-parade party! But you do need to register separately for both: https://t.co/4n3pdsHWv6 pic.twitter.com/LnS0BAXrHt

— SoberStPatricksNYC- 2022 ☘??? (@SoberStPatsDay) February 18, 2022

Two Sober St. Patrick's Day Celebrations in 2022 - In-Person & Online 

Sober St. Patrick's Day, frequently heralded as “the best entertainment in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day,” has plenty to offer people who are searching for the perfect "family-friendly, alcohol-free event" this year.

As well as a live, in-person party in NYC on March 17, a digital celebration will be streamed online for followers around the world.

The 11th Annual In-Person Party will be held at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral's Youth Center at 268 Mulberry Street in NYC immediately following the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade. The in-person party, which will feature live Irish entertainment from 4:30 pm until 7 pm, always sells out in advance. You can purchase your tickets online here.

In addition to the live, in-person event, Sober St. Patrick's Day will host its second annual YouTube Premiere Global Celebration on March 17 from 5-6 pm (9-10 pm in Ireland). This year's digital event will be co-hosted by Sober St. Patrick's Day Treasurer Jim Frawley and Samantha Kelly, @TweetingGoddess, and will feature all of the musicians and dancers. Registration is required for this free event.

This year's #SoberStPatricksDay celebration will look a bit different than SSPD Parties in the past - Along with live entertainment, we'll also be enjoying the SSPD Digital Youtube Premier so we can enjoy the global celebration on the big screen with the SSPD community #worldwide pic.twitter.com/x1j8SVdv0t

— SoberStPatricksNYC- 2022 ☘??? (@SoberStPatsDay) March 3, 2022

Sober St. Patrick's Day Emerald Spirit Award Honoree

The Sober St. Patrick's Day Emerald Spirit Award is presented annually to a career professional to honor extraordinary dedication and devotion to improving the lives of family members of alcoholics and addicts - the frequently overlooked demographic affected by this disease.

Sober St. Patrick's Day Board of Directors is proud to announce William Cope Moyers, Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations for Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, as its 2022 “Emerald Spirit Award” Honoree.

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is recognized as the world's leading non-profit organization singularly focused on providing healing and hope to individuals, families, and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the organization's public advocate since 1996, Moyers carries the messages about addiction, treatment, and recovery to audiences across the nation.

Sober St. Patrick's Day Board members Sis Gallagher Wenger, Dr. Patricia O’Gorman, and John Coppola are all former recipients of the “Emerald Spirit Award” and will be in attendance again to welcome this year's winner, William Cope Moyers.

About Sober St. Patrick’s Day® Movement

Sober St. Patrick’s Day’s mission is to reclaim the true spirit of St. Patrick's Day by changing the perception and experience from an occasion for binge drinking and other misuse of alcohol to a celebration of the richness of Irish culture and the legacy of St. Patrick.

Sober St. Patrick's Day was created by award-winning theater and television producer William Spencer Reilly, who almost lost a member of his family to addiction. He first proposed the idea to leaders in the recovery and Irish American communities, a pitch that led, a year later, to the 2012 inaugural party. It is a 501(c)(3) organization. You can learn more about Sober St. Patrick's Day on its website.