Clare Irish Festival

The Clare Irish Festival is an annual citywide celebration held during the week of St. Patrick's Day. It stands as one of central Michigan's most famous cultural events, drawing thousands of regional tourists to the downtown area each March.

• The Historical Survey: The physical county boundaries were initially named “Kaykakee” in 1840, but the territory was renamed in 1843 to honor County Clare in Ireland.
• The 1975 Inception: After years of planning by civic organizers, the local business community held the very first official Clare Irish Festival in mid-March 1975.
• Chamber Adoption: Seeing the initial public success, the Clare Chamber of Commerce formally adopted a permanent Irish theme for the municipality in 1976. Business owners coordinated green window trims, deployed themed billboards, and established the Shamrock as the town's official civic emblem.
• The Doherty Hub: The historic Doherty Hotel in downtown Clare served as the structural birthplace and nucleus of the festival, hosting the big-ticket musical entertainment, comedy tours, and traveling guests.

• The Publicist: Wilmer Taylor “W.T.” (Bill) Rabe (1921–1992) was a legendary Michigan public relations expert and master of tongue-in-cheek promotions. He was globally famous for creating Lake Superior State University's annual “Banished Words List” and organizing the Mackinac Island Stone Skipping tournaments.
• Promotional Blitz: Bringing his eccentric PR brilliance to Clare County, Rabe served as a primary marketing engine and Parade Marshal for the growing Irish Festival.
• The Creative Narrative: Rabe specialized in drafting satirical, highly engaging press releases that he blasted out to daily newspapers across the state. His promotional copy famously declared that Clare didn't just celebrate St. Patrick's Day once, but practically “six times a year,” branding the community as a town with a delightful “Irish problem”.
• Earning Media Attention: Rabe’s marketing tactics successfully elevated a small-town gathering into state news, securing front-page features in major metropolitan publications like the Detroit Free Press, which officially labeled Clare “The Most Irish Town in Michigan”.

Over the decades, the festival expanded from a weekend gathering into a massive five-day cultural celebration featuring signature events:

• The Grand Parade: The centerpiece event that marches down McEwan Street, pulling massive crowds into the downtown commercial district.
• The Bed Race: A historic, highly popular novelty competitive race featuring teams pushing decorated beds down the city streets.
• Community Contests: Annual traditions including the Leprechaun Contest, the Pet Photo Contest, the Business Window Decorating Competition, and the “Are You Irish?” genetic heritage sweepstakes.
• The Celtic Kitchen: Local dining establishments roll out massive, traditional culinary spreads dominated by corned beef, cabbage, and Irish potatoes to service the tourism influx.