Aye and beggorah, and Erin go bragh! It’s time for all good Slidell residents to don the green and go celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Even though the Irish saint’s holiday is not until Wednesday, Slidell will be decked out in green Sunday afternoon as the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade goes rolling through Olde Towne.

According to the parade’s organizer, Brad Champagne, the parade is over 35 years old. It was first started by Stanley Samrow and other merchants in Olde Towne as a way to bring business back to Olde Towne. It was first sponsored by the Olde Towne Merchants Association, but after Hurricane Katrina, the organization changed its name to the Olde Towne Slidell Association. “But the parade is for everybody, not just those in Olde Towne,” Champagne said.

The parade is dedicated to the memory of Samrow.

This year Champagne said the parade will have 17 floats plus 40 marching units made up of bands, dance teams and baton twirlers. Float riders will be throwing beads, doubloons, as well as the traditional cabbages, carrots and potatoes that spectators can use to make a good Irish stew.

The festivities start Sunday at 1 p.m. in front of Slidell City Hall on Second Street.

From there, the parade rolls north, across Fremaux Avenue to Teddy Avenue, then turns left to Front Street.

After turning left on Front, the parade will turn left onto Carey Street, and go all the way down to Pontchartrain Drive, where the floats will turn right and go back up to Front Street.

After turning right on Front, the Irish merrymakers will then turn right on Robert Street, then a left on First Street, and finally march all the way to Erlanger Street where the parade will disband.

So wear your green, and put a carnation in your lapel and come out and be Irish for a day.