‘The death march of a great parade’
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Your daily Letter to the Editor — Feb. 17, 2013
I am happy to see that Roanoke’s fastest-growing parade and celebration [St. Patrick's Day] will begin its slow death this year.
It makes perfect sense to take a beloved event and broaden its appeal by offering pop, rock, country and rap groups, while cutting back on Celtic music.
Having one of the top Celtic bands play at another location while the parade is going on speaks volumes about Downtown Roanoke Inc.’s ability to run anything. Someone with a little common sense would think it is a better plan to have this band play both in the parade and later, in a prime-time stage slot.
If Mayor David Bowers and city council care about Roanoke, they need to get this celebration away from this organization ASAP.
What really bothers me about DRI’s attempt to offer something for everyone is the fact that we have the same event it is trying to force on us nine weeks later, under the name Festival in the Park.
Tim Tuck
ROANOKE
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Note from Dan: Let’s brainstorm other ways Downtown Roanoke could “improve” the other things it manages!
For example, we could have carolers singing tunes from “Fiddler on the Roof” during Dickens of a Christmas. And we could require that City Market vendors sell only processed food.
Let it rip, folks. I might steal your best stuff for a future column!
February 17, 2013 - 1:41 PM
Dan,
Thanks for printing Tim Tuck’s letter.
There are lots and lots of folks who want to “change things for change’s sake.” This DRI group appears to be one of them.
If you really want to upset and divide folks, a good place to begin would be to take over a long-standing and fun and popular parade, and relegate the whole purpose of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebration to a side-show…and bring in…rock bands? Sheesh.
They could change it to Dickens of a Fourth of July, and make the participants wander the streets in the 95 degree heat wearing Victorian garb and carrying sparklers.
DRI doesn’t get that Roanokers live in Roanoke because it’s Roanoke. If we wanted to live in NoVA and Charlotte with their commercial slickness , we’d live there. I left Roanoke for Tampa and NoVA and came back. Yes, Roanoke can be boring and I miss all the shopping, museums, nightlife, and restaurant variety, but it’s cheap to live here, fairly safe, and we still have tradition, technology access, arts, and outdoor beauty. DRI needs to stop breaking what’s not broken.
We could let Wanda aka homeless lady, lead the parade.
Hi, Mr. Casey. You are exactly right and I agree. DRI has not thought this out completely. The city is slowly killing business in the market and DRI has apparently adopted the same business model by killing the St. Patrick’s Day parade traditions. It seems like when Roanoke gets 2 steps ahead, it takes 3 steps backwards.
I have attended the St Patricks Day fesitval and parade in Roanoke almost every year since I have lived in the area, but on principle alone, I won’t be attending this year because of the changes DRI is making. I come to the event for the Celctic influence, and if that is being watered down, then what’s really the point? Another generic parade and event like all the rest? No thanks. I’ll stick with the Highlander Festival in Radford this year.
Why would a celebration of Irish heritage be homogenized to an everyday run of the mill festival? The St. Patrick’s Day parade has become stronger every year. I agree with Teresa, why does DRI wnat to fix what isn’t broken? If some people don’t like Celtic music, so what. They can stay home.
May those that love us, love us.
For those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.
trashing traditions is easier for some people than others, and is often driven by ideologues of political correctness. thank goodness for the …others.
Will they change Local Colors to a celebration of America only? All participants wear jeans and tee shirts that say, Kiss Me, I’m Irish, Polish, whatever. Only hotdogs, hamburgers, and apple pie will be sold. The only “native dancing” will be square dancing. Where does the absurdity end?
it’s opposite of hope and change. change it and hope they come.
Who are DRI and how did they gain control over these events? I hope they’re reading these comments….there are ample venues for bands to play in Roanoke, at festivals and in restaurants. Why inject non-Celtic music into a St Patrick’s day celebration of all things? Maybe a salad bar at the chili festival.
I don’t think this has anything to do with political correctness or ideologies, Frank. It’s silly people watering down something because they think it will make it more appealing. They cannot be more wrong.
I’ve been living in this area for 40 years and have never been to this parade. I guess I don’t have any Irish DNA
I like beer though.
@9 I think instead of “Native dancing” DRI should encourge “Naked” dancing.
Heck, I’d come out for that.
Cold n P:
“Heck, I’d come out for that.”
Save me a seat!
ColdnP, careful what you wish for. Is ol’ Laker what’s his name still around? He’d probably be leading THAT parade.
Huntersdad. Good point. Let’s table that idea for now…
John Wilburn, I suggest a GONZO road trip to you know where! I ain’t talkin ’bout the bus trip to hell we’re all on either.
I don’t want to see what River Laker has to offer.
Maybe you guys could petition for Local Colors to have belly dancers. They won’t be naked, but it’s as close as you’re going to get in a family friendly festival.
Not a bad idea Debbie. We are just full of constructive ideas to improve the parade.
Debbie, belly dancing to bagpipe music maybe?
@20
Belly dancing to bagpipe music…hmmmm. It might work if the bars are open early and being St. Patricks day, I’m sure they will be.
I attended one of the parades a few years ago. McGruff the crime dog is a lot smaller in person than he is on TV. It was a smaller bite outa crime than I imagined.
Or maybe guys in kilts crumping.
I agree with everyone’s comments and based on my post here about the Christmas Parade, I will go just to see if they curtail the insanity of the motorcycle and muscle cars gunning their engines at full throttle and asphyxiating everyone.
As for the comment from someone who does not want to see what River Laker as to offer, according to reports from those in attendance at 202 on that infamous night, he had a lot to offer the ladies…LOL, Maybe he should lead the parade, might be a big draw…
At Kristen #11. DRI was given this event and others per contract by the City of Roanoke. The same City that is destroying the central farmers market by the installation of an unneeded plaza, against the wishes of the farmers. The same city that neglected the Market Building damn near to oblivion then pushed out the long time vendors to construct a homogenous operating room environment that has current vendors struggling. The same city that neglected Victory Stadium to its ultimate demise. The same city that elected a Mayor who ran on the platform that he “shows up” as opposed to his opponent who “started up” businesses. The same city that spent millions of planning dollars and debated for over 10 years over what to do with Elmwood Park, before deciding to do what common sense told them to do in the first place. The same city that Court Rosen just opined in this paper is doing a really good job of managing this city, so we need to show a little appreciation and not fret our pretty little heads about govment matters. That’s who gavie it to them.
There is an article posted on Tad Dickens’s blog that ran in the paper a few days ago: there will the same Irish music and dancing (yay) at the after-parade festival this year! So, Other John, you should still go. Corned Beef is helping to make it happen, somehow. It will still be outside under a tent, is my understanding.
What really concerns me is how little “the people” seem to matter to entities like DRI and the Market Building management. I absolutely support my downtown and I have grown to love the new vendors in the MB, but I miss the people who used to run businesses there: the first Cuban restaurant, Zorba’s, Burger in the Square, the candy shop! Sure the new people are great, but I almost feel as if the people who are making the calls didn’t care if we lost the old people. That’s what has me worried about the work schedule for turning the Market area into a pedestrian plaza. I love the idea, but I hope we don’t lose the people I’ve been buying from for years because they can’t take the economic stress of the way the work is being timed for their busiest season. The whole mess w/ St. Pats: I don’t even think the people making the calls had ever been and if they had, they didn’t get it, as in the Scots-Irish culture of our community.