Little Rhody is Home to Two of the Shortest Parades for St. Patrick’s Day

Marching orders for both Adamsville and Matunuck are underway

Photo by Maureen Azize, courtesy of World’s Shortest St. Paddy’s Day Parade

The World’s Shortest Beach Parade, Matunuck

Photo courtesy of The Pub

The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Adamsville

Photo by Maureen Azize courtesy of World’s Shortest St. Paddy’s Day Parade

Posted Friday, February 28, 2025 9:00 am

By Caitlyn Bailey

Each March, Irish or not, many Rhode Islanders look forward to Saint Patrick’s Day festivities around the state, especially the major parades in both Newport and Providence. However, there are two smaller celebrations that may have missed your radar: the World’s Shortest St. Paddy’s Day Parade in Adamsville and the World’s Shortest Beach Parade in Matunuck.

In Adamsville, the whole idea began as a joke at a St. Patrick’s Day family dinner, says parade organizer Charles Kinnane. He and his cousins laughed about the concept of a parade in their small village, yet the idea remained even after they had finished a few Guinnesses and plates of corned beef hash.

“The first year, we didn’t advertise – it was just a joke,” Kinnane explains. And yet, a couple hundred people showed up through word of mouth alone. The parade lasted only 15 minutes and managed to raise $5,000 for local food banks. Four years later, the parade has grown to last just under an hour. Spanning a whopping 89 feet, the route begins and ends on the same main road. The Little Compton Historical Society annually measures the route to ensure it’s World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade status, which is often in debate with Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Meanwhile, an hour’s drive away in the seaside village of Matunuck, organizers will be continuing their own tradition with the World’s Shortest Beach Parade. The brief route is always the same: marchers ceremoniously descend from the back steps of the Ocean Mist, head down Matunuck Beach, and conclude at The Pub, about 150 yards away. Throngs of onlookers dressed in green hats, shamrock headbands, and even wigs fill the area to cheer on the procession. The excitement begins with the unmistakable sounds of the uilleann pipes played by a bagpiper following the lead of the grand marshall, who dons a top hat, gold sash, and shillelagh; next in line are costumed revelers, kids, and dogs.

This year’s parade on Matunuck Beach is planned for 4:30pm and expected to clock in at less than five minutes, but will most likely be done in three. When asked about the amount of time it takes to march, Ocean Mist’s general manager Patrick McMullen says that the beach parade lasts three minutes at most. “The only delay is getting people down the stairs and to the beach,” he explains. “That takes longer than walking the actual parade route.”

The heart of both parades is clear. “Beyond the joke, the parade is all about giving back,” Kinnane says. The World’s Shortest St. Paddy’s Day Parade has doubled its fundraising each year and hopes to continue the trend. Over at Ocean Mist and The Pub, their beach parade is an opportunity to foster community. “The intention behind the parade is to connect neighboring businesses, and all come together in one place to celebrate the holiday,” says The Pub’s manager Karen Recene-Dupuis. “Each year guests and patrons join in and dress up as if they were their own St. Patrick’s Day parade float. It’s very fun!”