NEW LONDON (NBC 26) — It's St. Patrick's Day, and the Shamrock Club in New London is up to their usual shenanigans, but they're also promising something a little different this year.
The downtown area of New London will be packed this weekend for the Grand Parade, but festivities are happening all week.
The Shamrock Club gathered early Monday to change the official names of New London and Northport to "New Dublin" and "Northdublin."
This tradition has been happening for years, and the Shamrock Club says it's the unofficial kickoff to the Celtic holiday.
Shamrock Club President Anne Stedman says they're bringing back a lot of those familiar favorites for the parade, but they're also expecting the Dancing Grannies and more high school bands will be performing during the parade.
Stedman says if you've never attended, this will be the perfect weekend to check it out with your family.
"We have our huge Irish tent that has three Irish bands, vendors and food; and then of course our parade is at 1 p.m. with 100 entries. We try to get different bands and entertainment every year. So, it's just great to celebrate our Irish heritage and come see what we've been working on in the last year," Stedman said.
