St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird will join Cheech Marin as the grand marshal, and Danny Trejo as the official starter at the First Ever 17th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade.
"We are delighted that Fredbird will be firing up the crowd at the 17th Annual Parade," Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said in a news release. "It's really fitting that Fredbird will be joining us, since Hot Springs is recognized worldwide as the birthplace of Major League Baseball spring training and because the Cards have been the unofficial 'home team' for Arkansans for generations."
Arrison noted the San Diego Chicken was featured in the parade one year, but Fredbird is "special."
"Most people don't think of chickens as birds, and Saint Louis is closer to our hearts than San Diego," he said.
Fredbird became popular with fans for his dancing, his habit of "beaking" the heads of supporters, and can be seen rallying the crowd regularly during pregame on-field ceremonies. Occasionally, he finds time to sit behind (or on top of) the dugout to get the crowd going, according to the release.
The 98-foot-long parade will be on March 17, 2020, on Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs.
Local on 11/17/2019