Mark your calendars for St. Patrick’s day 2023 when Village People will present a free performance after the parade.
With the First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade six months away, Visit Hot Springs has signed the iconic band Village People to perform a free public concert on March 18, the day after the famous little parade.
“There’s no more iconic band from the 70s era than Village People,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said. “They’ll bring an added level of fun and entertainment to Hot Springs on the evening following the parade. I’ll personally guarantee a fun time for everyone who comes back on down to Bridge Street on March 18 to do the ‘Y.M.C.A’ song with the band.
“With six months to go, we’re also announcing that The Molly Ringwalds band, which was such a hit at the Memorial Day festivities at the Hot Springs Airport, will be back in town to entertain at a free public concert immediately after the parade on St. Patrick’s Day. We were flooded with calls asking us to bring them back to town for the parade. They knocked the Memorial Day crowd out with incredible cover versions of memorable tunes from the 1980s, so we decided to bring them back for the 20th anniversary of the parade.”
“The 20th anniversary edition of the parade will be pretty special,” he said. “We’ll want the crowd to enjoy Hot Springs in celebrating our city’s equivalent of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras.”
The parade annually attracts crowds of upwards of 30,000 people to watch an insanely zany collection of Irish Elvis impersonators, marching units, floats, dancers, and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, as well as other unique units cover the 98-foot length of Bridge Street.
Village People is one of the most iconic music groups in the world. Their music is part of the international songbook and has been featured in numerous motion pictures, on Broadway, and in commercials. Of course, “Y.M.C.A.” (along with its namesake dance) is played at almost every party and sporting event in the world. They’ve sold over 100 million records worldwide.
The Molly Ringwalds are making a career out of the music of the 1980s. A New Orleans band loved in Baton Rouge, the group specializes in the songs of such 80s acts as Duran Duran, Boy George and Culture Club, Flock of Seagulls, David Bowie, and Adam Ant.
Band members also perform in costumes and makeup inspired by the era when Prince, Michael Jackson, and Madonna ruled radio and MTV launched stars.
The current Molly Ringwalds lineup, together for 11 years, also features singer and synthesizer player Dickie English, drummer Sir Liam Thunders and bassist Lord Philip Wang.
For more information call Steve Arrison, at 501-321-2027.
