So That Reminds Me: Wildman and Christie discuss St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Committee President Jim Wildman and Holyoke Grand Colleen Jadyn Christie sat down with hosts Chris Maza and Tyler Garnet on the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me.”
Reminder Publishing photo by Debbie Gardner

HOLYOKE — Winter’s twilight is mercifully upon us, which means “green season” is about to reach its apex with the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me,” Holyoke St. Patrick’s Committee President Jim Wildman and Holyoke Grand Colleen Jadyn Christie sat down with hosts Chris Maza and Tyler Garnet to discuss the 2026 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, including the 49th annual 10K road race on March 21 and the 73rd St. Patrick’s Parade on March 22.

While most of the weekend will remain unaltered, there is one notable addition to this year’s festivities: a sensory-friendly viewing area from Elm Street through Maple Street on Appleton Street. According to Wildman, the two-block section of the route will serve as a designated area for families, children and individuals who want a calmer environment.

The zone will take effect from Elm Street through Maple Street with no emergency lights or flashing lights and no sirens or amplified alarms. Bands during this portion will also play strings only.

Wildman said the idea for this section came from his time marching in the Tralee St. Patrick’s Day parade during a trip to Ireland last year. He shared that the band and music stopped, and they noticed some children with headphones on. When he returned from the trip,

Wildman said he made sure to add a similar zone to the Holyoke parade this year. He shared that Magic for Maddie and the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts are sponsoring this initiative.

“I told the parade coordinator, and a few others, I said, ‘we have to do this,’ and they all agreed, we were all in agreement,” Wildman said. “We’re hoping that this is a huge success.”

The remainder of the weekend will function similarly to past years. Both Wildman and Christie reflected on their excitement for the festivities, including the focus on celebrating surrounding communities.

“It’s very much a dedication for all our regionals; and again, without them, we don’t have much of a parade,” Wildman said. “So, that’s why we try to get out, we try to network with all of them.”

The yearly networking with other communities has yielded a sizable economic impact throughout the region. Wildman said a financial study done 15 years ago found that the parade weekend that year brought in $22 million from events, sales, restaurants, hotels and everything else that factors into the weekend.

This year, Wildman said the goal is to spearhead another financial study. He shared that it’s important to capture the weekend’s impact because the celebration touches people from not just the region, but around the globe.

“We’re broadcasting 22 [News], we have a million viewers, and we have another, I think, three or four hundred thousand that watch us online,” Wildman said. “Outside of that, as far away as Australia, Poland, Hawaii … we have these people that are from Holyoke that have moved because they can’t make it home for the weekend, they’re still trying to get involved with that homecoming and enjoy the parade.”

The weekend’s camaraderie is felt right at home too, especially by Christie, who reflected on her time as colleen after years of enjoying the annual traditions with her family.

“It’s an incredible honor, getting to know a lot of the young girls who specifically gravitate towards me because of my crown,” Christie said. “I’ve done some visits and some tea parties with some of the local little girls, and it’s just amazing just to see how much they look up to you. You walk in and … their jaws drop, this is real.”

The 49th annual road race begins at 1 p.m. on March 21 and the 73rd annual parade starts at 11 a.m. on March 22.

Readers can listen to the full podcast episode by visiting thereminder.com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.