NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo — One of the region's largest Saint Patrick's Day celebrations is getting ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary. North Kansas City's Snake Saturday draws thousands of people every year.
It's set to kick off at 11 a.m. this upcoming Saturday.
"It's a big year for us, Mickey Finn and Bill Grigsby started it in 1984 right here on the streets of North Kansas City," said Mindy Hart, organizer for Snake Saturday. "Snake Saturday is the largest Irish Parade and Festival in the region."
Hart says the event draws big business for shops and restaurants in North Kansas City. Many of them, including Chappell's Restaurant & Sports Museum, have banners posted promoting the event and specials they will be offering. It is estimated businesses can make two to three weeks worth of sales during Snake Saturday.
The parade will come a month after a shooting broke out at Union Station as millions were celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs. In response, additional officers will be on hand to ensure everything runs smooth.
"When there's a high officer, first responders presence at an event like this ... one of the very first lines of defense that we can do in improving a safety plan is to have a higher presence," Hart said.
Hart said they met with private and public security professionals, along with the North Kansas City Police Department, to finalize their safety plan. Officers from other agencies and jurisdictions will also be present.
"Anytime you have a large crowd, there's the potential for something to go wrong, whether it's a medical emergency, a crisis, like what happened at Union Station, so you just have to plan for all of those contingencies," Hart said.
For more information on Snake Saturday, visit its website.
Snake Saturday also raises money for organizations in need and estimate a total of nearly $2 million dollars has been given to charities across the region.
