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The annual Kansas City St. Patrick's Day parade, themed "Irish Kicks in 2026 — A Celebration of Sport," wound through Westport and down Broadway on Tuesday, marking the last major event in Kansas City before the World Cup.
Soccer balls bounced down the route, were tied to the tops of trucks and dangled behind trolleys.
Anna Scholten, who watched the parade, said the dual celebration felt natural.
"They're supporting the World Cup coming. So we're all kind of tying communities together," Scholten said.
Mayor Quinton Lucas and other parade participants walked past security measures that included a large police presence and public works trucks barricading the route.
"Whether it's the World Cup or an annual tradition like the St. Patrick's Day parade, Kansas Citians love to come together," Lucas said. "They love to bring families out and have great events like this one."
Tuesday's parade brought Clyde Griffin out for the first time in his more than 60 years of living in Kansas City.
"I figured at my age, this is the time to do it," he said. "I wanted to make this off my bucket list."
Among the crowd was a young boy named Dakovin. He hopes to march with a drill team one day — and see the World Cup in Kansas City. His mother, Myasia, said big events bring people together.
"I feel like once they do the big events, everybody comes together and actually enjoy when they get a chance," Myasia said.
The Irish national soccer team still has work to do before it can join the party. The team must win two more matches to qualify for the World Cup, with its next game scheduled for March 26.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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