Town staff and PROS members outlined plans for a downtown Saint Patrick’s parade and a combined spring festival set for Saturday, March 15. The event will include a 0.5-kilometer fun run, a parade and a festival in Centennial Park; event proceeds and registration donations will support the Veterans Garden at Wellington Community Park.

Staff said Cleveland Avenue will be closed for much of the morning (road closures expected around 8:45–9:00 a.m., with event activity starting by 9 a.m.) so the race and festival can proceed. The 0.5K is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. with registration beginning at 9 a.m.; the parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Organizers described a hydration station at the halfway point of the run and a finish area near a partnering business (OCB), which will host a post-race area and ribbon-handed finish. Vendor booths and a town activation will be located in Centennial Park; the road is expected to reopen while the park event and a beer garden (pending trustee approval) remain in place, with most downtown closures released by about 3 p.m.

Staff said registration is open on the recreation website and that all race proceeds and donations will go to the WCP Veterans Garden fundraising account. PROS members volunteered to support logistics including race registration, cone placement for the course, staffing hydration, and the town booth. Staff asked members to recruit volunteers and to help with day-of tasks. Organizers also discussed marketing tactics—flyers, QR-code preregistration at downtown “Mingle on Main” events—and a desire to get promotional materials out quickly.

The event plan also includes a beer garden in a parking lot location pending approvals; staff said Parks & Rec will handle fencing and operational coordination if the beer garden is permitted. Staff noted the event’s timeline is tight and that additional volunteer coordination and waivers will be required before the event.

The board heard several programming ideas tied to the event, including a photo booth at the hydration station or finish area, a family-friendly mini-park in Centennial Park, entertainment along Main Street, and vendor and rec activities. The festival is intended both as a community event and a fundraiser for the Veterans Garden; staff will provide a finalized volunteer sign-up and schedule after trustee approvals and final logistics are complete.