Join our Mailing List!
Please click the link below to sign up for your community paper mailing list. Stay up to date with all the events going on in your community as well as the latest news.Sign Up Today!
Entry for Snake Saturday parade, contests now open
More than $50,000 expected to be awarded at annual event
By Jeffrey M. Salem
It’s billed as one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country not to be held on St. Patrick’s Day, and it’s heading back to the streets of North Kansas City.
The 24th annual Snake Saturday, with a theme of Sharin’ O’ the Green, is seeking interested school groups, clubs, youth sports teams and nonprofits to participate in the festival’s parade Saturday, March 15.
Other contests outside of the parade realm also are open for entrants.
Enough prize money is being awarded to even make the greediest leprechaun blush. Almost $50,000 is expected to be awarded to winners of three parade categories and the North Kansas City Missouri State Barbecue Championships, held each year in conjunction with Snake Saturday.
There is room for 115 parade entries, and the entry deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The Rainbow Division entrants, which includes 501(c)3 nonprofits, will be awarded a little less than $30,000 in total prize money.
Debbie Van Pelt-McEnroe, an event organizer, said awarding money to charities in need was the organizers’ priority.
“It’s so important to those organizations to win this money,” she said. “It can be their biggest contribution of the year, and the parade is about sharing charitable dollars with these less fortunate.”
First place receives $7,000, second wins $5,000 and third place takes $3,000. The top 25 charities will receive payouts. The entry fee is $50.
The top 30 winners in the Family, Clubs, Sports and Youth division will at least win back their $50 entry fee. The top prize in the Family division receives $2,000.
The other prize division, the High School Spirit division, will award $1,000 to the best entry and award other amounts to the top 15. Other parade categories will not award prize money.
Suzi Cliff, parade coordinator, offered a few suggestions for parade entrants.
“Stay within the theme of the parade,” she said. “Lots of color and music is good. Activity and action going on are things that will catch people’s attention. It’s what they remember.”
Snake Saturday, organized by Northland Festivals Inc., also is seeking contestants for the Lad & Lassie Contest, which will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8, at the North Kansas City Community Center, 1999 Iron St. Northland children ages 5, 6 and 7 can enter to win the title of Lad or Lassie. Children ages 2, 3 and 4 may enter the Little Lad and Little Lassie contest. The four winners, displaying their outgoing personality, charm and Irish spirit, will be selected to ride in the parade March 15. The entry deadline is Saturday, March 1.
The deadline for all three divisions of the barbecue championships is March 1. The contest will be held Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15. The top prize will be $3,000 in the open division.
Deadlines and contact information:
- Deadline to enter any parade division is Wednesday, Feb. 27;
- Deadline to enter the Lad & Lassie contest is Saturday, March 1;
- Deadline to enter the barbecue championships is Saturday, March 1.
Parade or Lad & Lassie entry forms and further information are available at www.snakesaturday.com or 421-4438.
Barbecue entry forms and further information available at www.snakesaturday.com or 813-8686.
Staff writer Jeffrey M. Salem can be reached at 389-6653 or jeffsalem@npgco.com.
printable version
e-mail this story
The 24th annual Snake Saturday, with a theme of Sharin’ O’ the Green, is seeking interested school groups, clubs, youth sports teams and nonprofits to participate in the festival’s parade Saturday, March 15.
Other contests outside of the parade realm also are open for entrants.
Enough prize money is being awarded to even make the greediest leprechaun blush. Almost $50,000 is expected to be awarded to winners of three parade categories and the North Kansas City Missouri State Barbecue Championships, held each year in conjunction with Snake Saturday.
There is room for 115 parade entries, and the entry deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The Rainbow Division entrants, which includes 501(c)3 nonprofits, will be awarded a little less than $30,000 in total prize money.
Debbie Van Pelt-McEnroe, an event organizer, said awarding money to charities in need was the organizers’ priority.
“It’s so important to those organizations to win this money,” she said. “It can be their biggest contribution of the year, and the parade is about sharing charitable dollars with these less fortunate.”
First place receives $7,000, second wins $5,000 and third place takes $3,000. The top 25 charities will receive payouts. The entry fee is $50.
The top 30 winners in the Family, Clubs, Sports and Youth division will at least win back their $50 entry fee. The top prize in the Family division receives $2,000.
The other prize division, the High School Spirit division, will award $1,000 to the best entry and award other amounts to the top 15. Other parade categories will not award prize money.
Suzi Cliff, parade coordinator, offered a few suggestions for parade entrants.
“Stay within the theme of the parade,” she said. “Lots of color and music is good. Activity and action going on are things that will catch people’s attention. It’s what they remember.”
Snake Saturday, organized by Northland Festivals Inc., also is seeking contestants for the Lad & Lassie Contest, which will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8, at the North Kansas City Community Center, 1999 Iron St. Northland children ages 5, 6 and 7 can enter to win the title of Lad or Lassie. Children ages 2, 3 and 4 may enter the Little Lad and Little Lassie contest. The four winners, displaying their outgoing personality, charm and Irish spirit, will be selected to ride in the parade March 15. The entry deadline is Saturday, March 1.
The deadline for all three divisions of the barbecue championships is March 1. The contest will be held Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15. The top prize will be $3,000 in the open division.
Deadlines and contact information:
- Deadline to enter any parade division is Wednesday, Feb. 27;
- Deadline to enter the Lad & Lassie contest is Saturday, March 1;
- Deadline to enter the barbecue championships is Saturday, March 1.
Parade or Lad & Lassie entry forms and further information are available at www.snakesaturday.com or 421-4438.
Barbecue entry forms and further information available at www.snakesaturday.com or 813-8686.
Staff writer Jeffrey M. Salem can be reached at 389-6653 or jeffsalem@npgco.com.