Snake Saturday

Last updated

Snake Saturday
Snake Saturday logo.png
StatusActive
Date(s)Saturday before March 17
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s) North Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
InauguratedMarch 12, 1983 (1983-03-12)
FoundersMickey Finn and Bill Grigsby
Most recentMarch 16, 2024 (2024-03-16)
Website snakesaturday.com

Snake Saturday is an annual event held in North Kansas City, Missouri, each year on the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day. It consists of a family-friendly parade and festival that also serve as a charity fundraiser.

Contents

The event is named after the legend of Saint Patrick banishing snakes from 5th-century Ireland. [1]

History

Snake Saturday began in 1983 as a promotion for the Rodeway Inn in Kansas City with a parade in the hotel's parking lot, allowing guests to watch from their rooms. [2] It was founded by Mickey Finn and Bill Grigsby. The parade was composed of four floats, and temperatures were cold. [2] [3]

The event has been held annually since. As of March 2023, Snake Saturday has awarded cash prizes totaling approximately $1.8 million to charity participants. [4] [5] It is also estimated that local businesses gain the equivalent of two to three weeks of sales during the event. [6]

Finn died on March 1, 2014, [7] and Grigsby died of prostate cancer on February 26, 2011. [8] Snake Saturday has continued without them while honoring their visions for the event. For example, the theme for the fortieth anniversary of the event in 2024 was "Mickey Finn's Irish Dream". [3]

Following the events of the Kansas City Union Station shooting in February 2024, additional scrutiny was placed on the Snake Saturday organizers ahead of the event to tighten security. They responded by updating their safety plan, such as by including SWAT-trained officers and advising the public to report potential concerns to the "hundreds of officers on the streets" during the event. [9]

Activities

As its founders intended, Snake Saturday is family-friendly, pet-friendly, and community-driven. [10] [11]

Parade

The 2010 parade as seen from a float Snake Saturday 2010 parade in North Kansas City.jpg
The 2010 parade as seen from a float

The parade organizers have ensured the event remains appropriate and safe for children by making it alcohol-free, disallowing anything thrown from floats, and conducting a safety meeting with all entrants before the parade. [12]

501(c)(3) organizations, families, youth groups, performing artists, bands, local schools, commercial businesses, motorcycle groups, automotive groups, radio/news stations, and other organizations are encouraged to enter the parade. Non-profit organizations are required to be community-oriented, non-discriminatory, and not targeted to a specific group. As of 2024, entry fees range from $50 to $350 depending on the type of group. [12]

Festival

A festival is held on the day of the parade and generally features activities for children, carnival rides, a car show, food concessions, arts and crafts stations, and live stage entertainment. [13] [14] The festival organizers decided not to sell beer on-site in line with their family-oriented theme. [15]

Charity cook-off

The organizers of Snake Saturday run a charity cooking competition the day before the parade. [16] Participating charities compete for cash prizes and are given a Kansas City strip steak and a take-out box. Their submissions are judged based on taste, tenderness, presentation, and decoration of the box in line with the event's annual theme. [7] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City, Missouri</span> City in Missouri, United States

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by population and area. Most of the city lies within Jackson County, with portions spilling into Clay, Platte, and Cass counties. It is the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which straddles the Missouri–Kansas state line and has a population of 2,392,035. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090, making it the 37th most-populous city in the United States, as well as the sixth-most populous city in the Midwest. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a port on the Missouri River at its confluence with the Kansas River from the west. On June 1, 1850, the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued, and the name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish them soon after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas Speedway</span> Motorsport track in the United States

Kansas Speedway is a 1.500-mile (2.414 km) tri-oval intermediate speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The track, since its inaugural season of racing in 2001, has hosted a variety of racing series, including NASCAR, IndyCar, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. The track has been owned by NASCAR since 2019, with Patrick Warren serving as the track's president. The track is served by the concurrent Interstate 70, U.S. Route 24, and U.S. Route 40, along with Interstate 435.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlin Perkins</span> American zoologist (1905–1986)

Richard Marlin Perkins was an American zoologist. He is best known as the host of the television program Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom from 1963 to 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLST</span> CBS affiliate in San Angelo, Texas

KLST is a television station in San Angelo, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to NBC affiliate KSAN-TV under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on Armstrong Street in San Angelo; KLST's transmitter is located near Eola, Texas.

KCMO is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri. Owned by Cumulus Media, the station airs a talk radio format. The studios and offices are on Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park, Kansas. KCMO is also heard on KCHZ in Ottawa, Kansas, FM translator K279BI (103.7) in Kansas City, Missouri, and on the second HD Radio channel of co-owned KCFX (101.1) in Harrisonville, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCTV</span> CBS affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri

KCTV is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV. The two stations share studios on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway, Kansas; KCTV's transmitter facility, the KCTV Broadcast Tower, is located in the Union Hill section of Kansas City, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSHB-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri

KSHB-TV is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Lawrence, Kansas–licensed independent station KMCI-TV. The two stations share studios on Oak Street in southern Kansas City, Missouri; KSHB-TV's transmitter is located at the Blue River Greenway in the city's Hillcrest section.

KSMO-TV is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KCTV. The two stations share studios on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway, Kansas; KSMO-TV's transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCWE</span> CW affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri

KCWE is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside ABC affiliate KMBC-TV. The two stations share studios on Winchester Avenue in the Ridge-Winchester section of Kansas City, Missouri; KCWE's transmitter is located in the city's Blue Valley section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDAF-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri

WDAF-TV is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Summit Street in the Signal Hill section of Kansas City, Missouri.

KCPT, branded on-air as Kansas City PBS or KC PBS, is a PBS member television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is owned by Public Television 19, Inc., alongside adult album alternative radio station KTBG and online magazine Flatland. KCPT and KTBG share studios on East 31st Street in the Union Hill section of Kansas City, Missouri. KCPT's transmitter is located near 23rd Street and Stark Avenue in the Blue Valley neighborhood. The station provides coverage to the Kansas City and St. Joseph areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. C. Wolf</span> Mascot for the NFLs Kansas City Chiefs

K. C. Wolf is the official mascot of the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs. He was first introduced in 1989 as a successor to Warpaint, a horse ridden by a man wearing a full Indian chief headdress, from the mid-1960s. K. C. Wolf was named after the team’s “Wolfpack,” a group of boisterous fans who sat in temporary bleachers at Municipal Stadium.

William W. Grigsby was an American sportscaster and member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Grigsby was best known for his work with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award was created to honor the most valuable player of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) men's basketball national tournaments. Established in 1939 and later named as an homage to the Chuck Taylor All-Stars, an iconic basketball shoe in the early 20th century, it has been awarded every year with the exceptions of 1944 due to World War II and 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between the 1991–92 and 2019–20 seasons, the NAIA was split into Division I and Division II. Each division subsequently held their own national tournament, with MVPs awarded for them respectively. Starting with the 2020–21 season, the NAIA returned to non-divisional classifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year</span>

The Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an award given to the Big 12 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1996–97 season, the first year of conference competition but three years after the conference's official formation. It is selected by the league's head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players. Kansas has had the most individual winners of the award with 12.

The 1931 Missouri Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Missouri in the Big Six Conference during the 1931 college football season. The team compiled a 2–8 record, finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big 6, and was outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 183 to 72. Gwinn Henry was the head coach for the ninth of nine seasons. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

The 1896 Missouri Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Missouri as an independent during the 1896 college football season. In its first and only season under head coach Frank Patterson, the team compiled a 7–5 record.

The 1931 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Six Conference during the 1931 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bill Hargiss, the Jayhawks compiled a 5–5 record, finished in fourth place in the conference, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 112 to 54. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. Otto Rost was the team captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinton Lucas</span> Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Quinton Donald Lucas is an American politician serving as the 55th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected in 2019. He is affiliated with the Democratic party and is the city's third African-American mayor. Before his election, Lucas was a private practice lawyer, community leader, city council member, and a lecturer on law at Washington University. He was also a volunteer instructor at prisons in New York and Kansas, where he taught courses on constitutional law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Kansas City parade shooting</span> Super Bowl LVIII parade shooting

On February 14, 2024, 33 people were wounded in a mass shooting at the west side of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. One person was killed and 22 others were shot, including 11 children. The shooting followed a Super Bowl LVIII victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs.

References

  1. ↑ "What is Snake Saturday?". The Kansas City Star . March 8, 1999. p. 11. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 11, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Burnes, Brian (March 6, 2013). "Snake Saturday Still Looking for Volunteers". The Kansas City Star . p. 3. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Parade History". Snake Saturday. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  4. ↑ Hennessy, Joe (March 10, 2023). "Snake Saturday Parade a highlight on busy Kansas City weekend". KCTV . Kansas City, Missouri. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Snake Saturday Parade and Festival". AARP . March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ Leon, Daniela (March 13, 2024). "Snake Saturday organizers add additional security to ensure safety". KSHB 41 . North Kansas City, Missouri. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Snake Saturday Parade Is This Week". The Kansas City Star . March 12, 2014. p. NO3. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "William W. Grigsby Obituary". Dignity Memorial . Service Corporation International . Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Love, Alex (February 16, 2024). "What security will look like at future parades in Kansas City". KCTV . Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Allen, Michele (March 11, 2024). "Snake Saturday Parade and Festival celebrates its 40 year anniversary". Fox 4 Kansas City . North Kansas City, Missouri: Nexstar Media Group . Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Volunteers Make Snake Saturday Happen". The Kansas City Star . March 9, 1998. p. 60. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 "General Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Snake Saturday. January 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Family Fun Festival Keeps Snake Saturday Spirit Alive All Day". The Kansas City Star . March 9, 1998. p. 59. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Bon Ton Soul Returns for Fifth Year". The Kansas City Star . March 8, 1999. p. 67. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Triplett, Ward W. III (March 10, 1989). "Snake Saturday Trusts Luck of the Irish for Good Weather". The Kansas City Star . p. 24D. ISSN   0745-1067 . Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Charity Cook-Off". Snake Saturday. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Snake Saturday Charity Cook-Off". Kookers Kare. March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.