1) The first St. Patrick's Day parade in Des Moines occurred in 1982 and was organized by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

2) In 1896, the Iowa Legislature declared St. Patrick's Day a legal holiday, making Iowa one of the first states to do so.

3) Cedar Rapids has long celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a parade, but in 2012, the parade was cancelled due to a freak snowstorm which dumped nearly a foot of snow on the city.

4) In 2013, the Iowa State Capitol was illuminated in green for St. Patrick's Day for the first time ever, thanks to a partnership with the Dublin Tourism Centre.

5) The town of Emmetsburg hosts an annual "St. Pat's Celebration," which includes a parade, a chili cook-off, and a "Leprechaun Crawl" which takes participants to various local taverns.