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Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2008

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Coming Weeks Could Match The Holidays For Exciting Activities

Everett Taylor

By EVERETT TAYLOR

That frantic pace of the Christmas - New Year's holiday season is not usually matched by other periods in the year but the next few weeks could come close.

Suddenly we are on the downhill side of February and the calendar is filled with plenty of activity during the next few weeks.

Monday is President's Day, a holiday for federal and state workers that few others observe. But it still gets a lot of attention, and is a particularly favorite day for many retail stores to conduct special sales.

Tuesday is not any kind of holiday, but it is significant because early voting begins for the Texas Democratic and Republican primary elections. The elections proper will be held Tuesday, March 4.

The official arrival of spring now is only about a month away, falling on Thursday, March 20 this year. But another harbinger of spring is even closer. Daylight savings time begins just three Sundays from today, on March 9.

Texas Independence Day also needs to be worked into the schedule. That will be observed on Sunday, March 2, this year.

Another early spring event is just about a month away.

Easter Sunday will be on March 23 this year. That is about as close to the first day of spring as that holiday gets.

The March calendar also includes a notation of the observance of St. Patrick's Day on March 17. That event is a relatively low-key celebration in Tyler but if those of Irish heritage want to see it done up in grand style, St. Louis is calling.

"In addition to 'family ties' with sister cities Donegal and Galway, Ireland, St. Louis has a rich history and strong connection to the Emerald Isle - and we're not afraid to show it!", announced a release from the city's Convention & Visitors Commission.

Actually, you have to get there early to enjoy the St. Patrick's Day parade, which is held each year on Saturday prior to observance of the special day. That makes it March 15 this year.

The city's drum thumpers trumpet it as one of the best such parades in the country, saying it is expected to attract more than 200,000 spectators to view more than 120 units, including floats, marching bands and large inflatable balloons.

An Irish Village in Kiener Plaza will open at 8:30 a.m. on parade day, featuring food and beverages from city restaurants, life music, family friendly activities, Irish specialties and merchandise for sale.

On Monday, St. Patrick's Day itself, the city stages another event of long-standing tradition - the Ancient Order of Hibernians' Dogtown St. Patrick's Day Parade. It is described as a "friendly neighborhood showin' of the green" on the narrow streets of the Dogtown neighborhood.

A St. Louis attraction based on the life and times of a transplanted Irishman is the Campbell House Museum that features hundreds of original possessions of the family of millionaire fur trader and entrepreneur Robert Campbell, an Irish native who moved to St. Louis and became one of the city's most prominent residents during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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