The annual “Wearin’ of the Green” St. Patrick’s Day parade in Baton Rouge will ride this Saturday for the 25th time.The parade will be led by Grand Marshal Michael Leahy and features 13 marching bands, three bagpipe bands and 59 floats — including traditional favorites like the float from area group Ancient Athletes with a basketball goal on the back.The parade, which begins at the corner of Acadian Thruway and Hundred Oaks Avenue, winds through the Garden District before finishing at the intersection of Acadian and Perkins.The parade has come to be one of Baton Rouge’s most celebrated events. “St. Patrick’s Day is an LSU [football] game, Mardi Gras and a parade all in one,” said Neal Hendrick, owner of Zippy’s Burritos and Tacos.Families, college students and longtime mid-city residents gather each year in the morning hours for drinking, beads and a raucous parade.”It’s always really wild,” said Jason Jefcoat, communications senior. “There’s a unique vibe because I know people who have family reunions for the parade, but it’s definitely a party too.”St. Patrick’s Day was not always so popular. The first edition of the parade was a walking parade in downtown Baton Rouge on Third Street.By the early ’80s, interest in the St. Patrick’s Day parade had largely died.WBRZ meteorologist Pat Shingleton, with the help of then-Baton Rouge mayor-president Pat Screen and a few organizers, revamped the parade in 1986 and named it the “Wearin’ of the Green.””When we made the parade into what it is now, I wanted to replicate some of the traditions from Ireland, so every year we have the Bishop ride with the Grand Marshal,” said Shingleton.Organizers also moved the parade route to the mid-city area because of their affiliation with ZeeZee Gardens, a restaurant near the Perkins Road overpass.”My brother and I owned ZeeZee’s at the time, and we tried to make it like a pub that we remembered from Pittsburgh,” Shingleton said. “We had a lot of Irish memorabilia in the place, and we wanted to call attention to that, so the parade route was moved to basically its current spot.”The location of the parade, because of its proximity to several bars and restaurants, has allowed St. Patrick’s Day to become a Baton Rouge entertainment staple.The parade annually creates a boost for bars and restaurants located on the route.”It’s like a week’s worth of business, really,” Hendrick said.Chelsea’s Cafe bartender Adam Darensbourg cited the festive atmosphere as a chief reason for increased business on St. Patrick’s Day.”The parade is just this big party, and everybody is energetic, happy and ecstatic,” Darensbourg said. “It’s a great time, but we also do really well — probably double our usual business — that day.”Duvic’s, a martini bar across the street from Chelsea’s, has several themed drink specials for St. Patrick’s Day, including an Irish Margarita and the Emerald Isle Martini.”St. Patrick’s Day is our busiest day of the year by far,” said Shane Courrege, owner of Duvic’s. “The drink specials are just a way to add a little more fun to the party, and it certainly doesn’t hurt business either.”At George’s, located under the Perkins Road overpass, business on St. Patrick’s Day revolves around the bar.”We’re usually a restaurant first, but we definitely become primarily a bar on St. Patrick’s Day,” said bartender Kelli Gambrel. “It’s so fast-paced, and everybody is channeling their inner Irishman when it comes to drinking.”The Parade Group, LLC, run by Pat and Mabyn Shingleton and Grey Hammett, officially puts on the “Wearin’ of the Green” parade.This year’s parade commences Saturday at 10 a.m.–Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]