Event includes community parade, family-friendly activities, fun run
The Town of Wellington, in partnership with the Wellington Main Street Program and the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce, is excited to present the inaugural St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival on March 15, 2025, in downtown Wellington.
The event, which will feature a fun run, St. Paddy’s parade, vendor festival, live music, access to local businesses and other family-friendly activities, requires the closure of Cleveland Avenue in downtown Wellington from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. that day.
Festivities get underway at 10 a.m. with the 0.5K Shamrock Fun Run, sponsored by Wellington’s Parks, Recreation, Open Spaces and Trails advisory board (PROST) and Old Colorado Brewing Company (OCB). The run is designed for participants of all ages and abilities, encouraging everyone to walk, jog or stroll along Cleveland Avenue.
Check-in for the race takes place from 9-9:45 a.m. that morning at First Street and Cleveland Avenue in downtown Wellington. Once the race kicks off at 10 a.m., runners will head east on Cleveland Avenue from First Street until about Fourth Street, where there will be a turn-around sending runners back west to finish at OCB.
Registration for the race closes at 9:45 a.m. that morning, and pre-registration is available.
Proceeds from the Shamrock Fun Run will benefit PROST’s Veterans Memorial Plaza project at Wellington Community Park.
At 11 a.m., the St. Paddy’s Day Parade commences down Cleveland Avenue, featuring floats, vehicles, animals and walking groups from local organizations and businesses. Similar to Wellington’s July 4th Parade, the St. Paddy’s Parade route will run east down Cleveland Avenue from First Street toward Fifth Street.
Floats and vehicles will line up on Wellington Boulevard. Walking/animal entries line up on the south side of First Street. All participants must be in place and ready by 10:30 a.m. for inspection by the Wellington Fire Protection District and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. Registration to participate in the St. Paddy’s Parade must be submitted by 11:45 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Registration for both the Shamrock Fun Run and the St. Paddy’s Parade is available at app.amilia.com/store/en/wellingtoncolorado/shop/programs/112096.
Also at 11 a.m., the Vendor Festival kicks off in Centennial Park, 3815 Harrison Ave. Event organizers are seeking vendors from a wide variety of sectors to participate, including landscaping companies and trades, educational and informative organizations and nonprofits.
Street closures and detours
In order to establish a safe space for the parade and fun run, Cleveland Avenue/Colorado Highway 1 will be closed March 15 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The closure starts at the curve southwest of Downtown Wellington on Highway 1 and runs until just west of Sixth Street in Downtown Wellington.
Along with shutting off access to Cleveland Avenue from side streets throughout that closure area, First Street is closed south of Cleveland Avenue until just north of Kennedy Avenue for parade lineup, and Fifth Street is closed south of Cleveland Avenue until just north of Roosevelt Avenue so parade participants can exit the parade route.
In addition, Third Street will be closed between Harrison Avenue and Cleveland Avenue to ensure safety for event participants, as will the alley on the north side of Cleveland Avenue between Second and Third streets.
Motorists needing to detour around the closure will do so via Larimer County Road 64 to the north or Jefferson Avenue to the south, accessed via County Road 9 to the west or Sixth Street to the east.
For the latest information about the St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival, visit the event’s Facebook page at facebook.com/share/18JvQ5cH1K. With questions, call 970.568.7410 or email recreation@wellingtoncolorado.gov.