The co-owners of two iconic Hot Springs establishments will reign as king and queen over the First Ever 16th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17.
Scott McClard and Dona Pettey, both born and raised in Hot Springs, were named the parade's royalty by Visit Hot Springs this week.
McClard co-owns and helps operate the 90-year-old McClard's Bar-B-Q Restaurant at 505 Albert Pike.
In a news release from Visit Hot Springs, McClard, a former member of the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission, confessed he didn't think the little parade would ever see its second annual edition, much less its 16th annual showing.
"I seem to remember going down to Bridge Street in 2003," he said in the release. "I went and watched; there were not very many people in the crowd. I thought to myself, 'Welp, this will be the last year for this little shindig. ... Drink up."
Now, 16 years later, McClard will reign as king of that little shindig, which has drawn worldwide attention over the years.
Pettey, who owns the Ohio Club with her husband, Mike, first attended the parade in 2007, but she said her best memory of it came in 2014, when she "had the privilege of performing in the Allstars Band after the parade on the Bridge Street stage."
"We were able to get that year's parade grand marshal, Jim Belushi, to perform some of his hits with us," she said in the release. "He actually came back to see if he could do a few more songs with us. Not a hard question to answer. What a tremendous amount of talent was on that stage."
Before the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade gave him something to do each March 17, McClard said he used to celebrate the day by "wearing green and knocking back a pint ... or two ... wit' me mates. Also, I'd just break out with an Irish accent randomly."
Asked if he has any Irish ancestry, McClard said he has some, "but a lot more Scottish than Irish."
"Let's don't get into this too deep; this is how parking lot fights start," he said.
Pettey said her mother, Carla Groves Chitwood, was and still is her hero, adding, "I know she would be so proud for me to have been chosen for this prestigious role as queen of this famous parade.
"It's always a blast dressing up in my shiny, blingy, festive green attire for this parade. Last year, Mike and I were a part of a group of 10 couples who made the trip over to Ireland. We got to visit so many of the great cities and partake of the traditions of the Irish. One of the biggest highlights of this trip was traveling to the original town where the Blarney stone resides. We climbed a castle to 'kiss the stone.'"
Pettey said her maternal grandfather, Jim Groves, was Irish, "so visiting Ireland was more meaningful for me."
"We also passed the home of the late great Art Rooney, founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers -- my most favorite team -- so I come by it honestly as a super Steelers fan."
Pettey said her favorite part of the parade is seeing the excitement in the eyes of the children and adults alike, along with the stars who are a major part of the parade. This year, she is looking forward to being crowned parade queen by celebrity grand marshal "The Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio.
"I remember watching him as the 'Karate Kid' when I was a youngster," she said. "Also tWitch, who I followed on the show 'So You Think You Can Dance' and now love watching him on the Ellen DeGeneres show. It's always a fun time visiting with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, too."
As for parade-goers, Pettey imparted her words of wisdom.
"Try each day to be good to one another and help those around you become better human beings," she said in the release. "Also enjoy every minute of life and don't take anyone or anything for granted. This parade is a special time to come together for one reason, to be happy and share in the festivities. I love my hometown and am proud for all the incredible recognitions we get from all over this country. It's definitely a great time to celebrate in some of the Irish traditions."
In addition to Macchio and Stephen "tWitch" Boss, this year's parade will feature the World's Largest Potato on Wheels -- a four-ton Big Idaho Potato and its accompanying truck and trailer at a combined 72 feet long, which will almost fill the length of Bridge Street.
The three-day parade weekend in Hot Springs also includes the First Ever First Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Zero K footrace at 6 p.m. March 15, and will cover a 299-foot long course and is designed for athletes who don't like to get up early or break a sweat.
On March 16, there will be a free live concert by Smash Mouth on the Bridge Street stage where Bridge Street, Malvern Avenue, Broadway and Convention Boulevard intersect. There will be another free live concert by Three Dog Night on March 17 immediately following the parade. This marks the second year that two free concerts have been held in conjunction with the parade.
Local on 01/20/2019