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ShamROCKin’ for 55 Years!

ShamROCKin’ for 55 Years!


St. Patrick’s Day, that magical day when the world dons its emerald cloak and dances a merry jig. The air is infused with the scent of clover, and the sun paints rainbows across the sky. But here’s the twist: it’s not just the Irish who revel in this kaleidoscope of merriment. 


Why in the world do people here in Colorado put on such a big parade on St. Patrick’s Day?  Sure, there’s the magical allure of the Emerald Isle but that’s far across the wide and wild sea, isn’t it? The reason, ’tis said, is as easy as humming a tune. Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! At our lovely little gem of a school located in the heart of the neighborhood, the spirit builds to a flurry of excitement this time of year. Green Gables Elementary, the Home of the Leprechauns, has participated in Denver’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade since the opening of the school. As second grade teacher Kristalina Rowley explained, “The Leprechaun theme is believed to originate from the school’s grand opening on March 17th, 1969.  We have been a part of the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade since the school began.” Principal Jenn Withee recalls from her own school days, “I still remember as a former Green Gables Leprechaun the excitement, joy, and pride that I experienced being part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I am grateful our community still gets to experience the magic!” 

With all the Leprechauns about, the Irish (even the just-one-day ones) wear green on St. Patrick’s Day because that makes you invisible to Leprechauns. If they see you they’ll pinch you. Wearing green is a sensible precaution, aye?  As for the big parade, the story goes back to 1889, when a Denver Irish heritage organization put on the first big parade. According to the Denver St. Partick’s Day Parade Association, the parade consisted of “two divisions of several Irish groups including the Ancient Order of Hibernians with some groups numbering close to one hundred.”1 Over the years the tradition grew and faded several times until the early 1960s , when a visit by the Lord Mayor of Dublin sparked the thought of reviving the old tradition. 

Now, run entirely by volunteers, the Denver St. Patrick’s Day parade is the largest in Colorado. In addition to our Green Gables Leprechauns there are hundreds of other colorful floats, marchers, stagecoaches, clowns, and bands playing music of all kinds. There are plenty of activities and attractions for children and adults alike.

We asked Mrs. Rowley about the float for this year, and she told us that each year the students form a planning committee that originates in their parade club. They meet after school for 5-6 weeks leading up to the parade. This group of students helps with designing the float and creating decorations. It’s not just that small group, though. Everyone gets involved. She explained, “Each year, we find an activity for all staff and students in our building to be able to take part in creating some part of our float. In the past we’ve done activities such as puzzle pieces, flags from around the world, individual shamrocks, and pictures of all staff and students. This year in alignment with the parade theme, ‘We Are One,’ all staff and students are tracing and designing a handprint that will be included in our float. Each class in our school also votes on 3 songs they would like to include in our music playlist as well. We truly try to include the entire school population as this is a school project that represents us all!”

Mindy Hayes, a staff member and parent, said, “This is one of the most special moments each year to really bring all of the Green Gables community together and share what makes us so amazing! It’s so incredible to see staff, students, families, and the community pull this off every year, and each year ends up being better than the prior year!” Ms Rowley added that this is the first year that preschool families will be invited, and she expects to have 50 to 75 students actually riding and marching in the parade. With families and staff members going along to support and cheer, the Green Gables community will number up to about 150 people enjoying the fun.

As fifth-grader Eli Borja said, “I love the parade because of the music and getting to be with my friends and teachers!” His classmate Brooke Pererson summed it up, telling us, “A lot of the school attends the parade. It’s fun and everyone has a good time!”

As you can see, planning for the parade takes planning, detailed work, and lots of cooperation. Here are some pictures of oiur Green Gables Elementary kids at work this week, preparing for the parade on Saturday, March 16, 2024!

Want to go and join the festivities? The Parade starts at 9:30 am.  Close-in parking places often fill up an hour before the parade starts. Information: Parade Route and Parking.


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2023 in Review

2023 in Review


With the passing of 2023 upon us, this week we tell our year-end story with a walk-through of our weekly articles over the past year. We have enjoyed inspirational and funny stories by our neighborhood writers, mixed in with informational posts about events and activities of the changing seasons: a record of the year that’s on its way out. With one notable exception back in August, we’d say 2023 was a pretty good year for Southern Gables. Wouldn’t you?  


We started the year with a “Meet Your Neighbor” feature, the first of six interviews to get to know and appreciate our neighbors. Starting in January with Joe Woelkers & Liza Patty, we visited with Ralph Cundiff, Dale Trone & Kathi Baird, the De Lay family, the Gundersons, and Robert Young. Neighbors and storytellers Harry and Judi Puncec told us a number of stories over the year, starting with Judi reminiscing about Growing up in Great Times in the booming new 1950s suburbs of  southwest Denver, days of such great freedom for a kid. Harry gave us a story about the Rocky, likening the venerable newspaper to a cranky old uncle. Then in September there was a fanciful imagining, on a road trip, of what the pioneers might have felt on traversing the old West. Veterans Day brought an essay on the typically modest and quiet older WWII veteran you might see from time to time out on a walk, and just last week Harry’s Army reminisinces took us back to postwar France, commiserating with a lonely soldier at Christmas.

Our old friend Ken Fischer wrote in January about heroes he has known and admired, models of grit and integrity each and every one. One thing they all had in common was a dedication to doing good. Doing good can take many forms, from gentle inspiration and quiet service to facing mortal danger. Then in December he gave us a treatise on the intangible rewards that come from helping others, and how kindness comes back to the giver. He called it Selfish Altruism. Ken’s stories are often built around interesting characters, and in February I told a story of my own, about an interesting character I almost met, The Hanover Avenue Boy. Then in November I shared a story about how my wife and I got to know a special friend, and how people are brought together by unexpected connections. Our young neighbor Brooklynn Rich told of connections too, relating some of the fascinating encounters she experienced in living on the road: Brooklynn.

The call of nature is another theme that was reflected in our weekly stories: taking care of our precious environment. Our beautiful ash trees in Southern Gables are facing a dangerous foe that Marcel Guajardo told us about in March: The Emerald Ash Borer. Then in June we republished two key articles about our environment by our neighbor Kristen De Lay  due to their timely relevance and perennial importance: Noxious Weeds and Nurturing Baby Butterflies. September brought an engaging story of a young girl’s call to adventure on an American Indian reservation, with Faith Gunther’s Unforgettable Escapade.

All of the other stories throughout the year traced the cycle of the changing seasons and Southern Gables neighborhood events and activities. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how much was going on in our little gem of a neighborhood. Neighbors got together for block parties, browsed each others’ treasures on a coordinated garage sale weekend, learned about the environment and better nutrition, celebrated holidays throughout the year, and (ooh, a sour note!) prepared for our popular “Neighborhood Night Out” only to have the rain wash it out. We supported local organizations with contributions and volunteer hours, got most of our fall leaves raked up and put to good use, and finished up the year with cheerful decorations for the holiday season. These stories marked our progress through the year:

Supporting Our Local Businesses February 10, 2023

Lakewood Loves Trees February 23, 2023

Selected Business Supporters March 2, 2023

Meet With an Expert on Xeriscaping March 27, 2023

Get Your Stuff Together! April 14, 2023

Newsletter Spring 2023 April 21, 2023

2023 Annual Meeting – and how ’bout those Scouts? April 27, 2023

Mayor Paul Addresses Southern Gables May 5, 2023

Here Are the Locations for Garage Sale Weekend May 12, 2023

Memorial Day May 23, 2023

Get Together! June 9, 2023

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training July 8, 2023

A Walk in the Park July 14, 2023

What a Party! July 21, 2023

Neighborhood Nights July 28, 2023

Pay Rent or Buy Food? August 4, 2023

Save the Date – Friday August 25 Neighborhood Night Out August 11, 2023

Neighborhood Night Out – Canceled August 24, 2023

Healthier Eating in the Neighborhood September 1, 2023

Community Night at Carmody September 15, 2023

Doing Good in the Neighborhood September 18, 2023

Newsletter Fall 2023 October 27, 2023

Mailbox Decoration Challenge November 17, 2023

Community Support December 15, 2023

Hey, that was quite a year, wasn’t it? Come on 2024!


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