It’s time to get the green out as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place around the Hudson Valley. From parades to road races, people will be out celebrating Irish heritage rain or shine.

Members of the Irish Cultural Center of the Hudson Valley (ICCHV) are preparing for big events this weekend, including the Kingston St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shamrock Run, back-to-back events that take place Sunday afternoon.

They’re inviting the public to participate and support.

The run is in honor of Gerald "Tuffy" Schatzel, a retired Kingston police detective who passed away earlier this year. Mentor Me of Ulster County, a youth empowerment group, is the beneficiary.

Due to the forecast and the potential for tidal flooding along the waterfront early Saturday at high-tide and midday on Sunday, changes were made to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade route.

The parade will proceed down Broadway, but end at Abeel Street. All floats and vehicles will make a right onto Abeel Street and proceed away from the waterfront. No vehicles will be allowed past Abeel Street during the festivities.

The parade's judging booth will be located in front of the Rondout Neighborhood Center. All parade spectators should plan to observe the parade above Abeel Street.

The Shamrock Run finish line will not change. Several parking restrictions are in place for Sunday. 

Ulster County Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) President Jim Carey said Ulster County, specifically Kingston, was where many Irish immigrated to due to the D and H (Delaware and Hudson) Canal with the downtown area once being called “Little Dublin.”

“Get out there, breathe some fresh air for once. You've been in cooped up all winter. It's been a long, tiring winter,” Carey said. “It's good to get outside, get the kids outside, get yourself outside. Have a beer with your friends.”

Along with Kingston’s parade on Sunday, other St. Patrick’s Day parades around the Hudson Valley include: Beacon this Saturday; Goshen this Sunday; Walkill, Pearl River and East Durham on St. Patrick’s Day; and Montgomery on Saturday, March 23. Wappingers Falls hosted its parade last weekend.