Arkansas’s Country Music Superstar Justin Moore Will Be the Celebrity Grand Marshal Of First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Arkansas’s own country music superstar Justin Moore will be the celebrity grand marshal of the First Ever 20th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade on 98-foot Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs.
“All of us here in Hot Springs consider Justin almost a hometown boy since his hometown of Poyen is only a couple of miles down the road on Highway 270,” Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said in announcing Moore’s selection. “He’ll be a great grand marshal as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our huge little parade.”
“And while he won’t be performing as part of the celebration, he will be having a great time meeting some of his biggest fans who have come to see him in the parade,” Arrison added.
Moore joins actor Chris McDonald, who starred as Shooter McGavin in the iconic “Happy Gilmore” movie and who will fire the starter’s pistol as the official starter for the wacky little parade that has brought international attention to Hot Springs since its inception in 2003.
The musical acts for the 2023 parade will be The Molly Ringwalds, an ‘80s tribute band performing a free public concert immediately following the parade, and Village People, the iconic superstar band that will perform a free public concert the evening of March 18 on the Bridge Street Stage.
Justin Moore has built a loyal following over the past decade with his traditional country sound and captivating live shows. Climbing the country radio charts with his current single, “With a Woman You Love,” the emotional tune follows in the footsteps of his 10th No. 1 hit, “We Didn’t Have Much,” which is featured on his eight-track collection of tunes, ‘Straight Outta The Country.'
The Arkansas native’s extensive fanbase helped boost his fifth studio album, Late Nights and Longnecks, to the top of the charts. Its lead track “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” and follow-up, “Why We Drink,” both peaked at No. 1 on both Mediabase and Billboard.
Moore’s previous project, Kinda Don’t Care, earned the singer his third consecutive No. 1 album debut and features his chart-topping singles “You Look Like I Need a Drink” and “Somebody Else Will.” It served as a follow up to his second No. 1 album release, the gold-certified Off The Beaten Path.
During his 10-plus-year career, Moore’s No. 1 hits have also included “Point at You,” “Lettin’ the Night Roll” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” “Small Town USA” and “Till My Last Day” as well as seven Top 10 hits and platinum-certified albums Justin Moore and Outlaws Like Me.
Adding to his already impressive career, Moore has also been busy hosting his Justin Moore Podcast sponsored by Bobcat with tour manager JR and interviewing guests such as Oscar award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey; country stars Tracy Lawrence, Jon Pardi, Brantley Gilbert; wrestling champion Diamond Dallas Page and ESPN’s Marty Smith.
He also recently took on a new role as co-host on 103.7 The Buzz's morning drive-time sports talk show, Morning Mayhem, where he spends his weekday mornings dishing out his never-ending sports knowledge on-air.
“The 20th anniversary edition of the parade will be pretty special,” Arrison said. “We’ll want the crowd to enjoy Hot Springs in celebrating our city’s equivalent of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. Hard to believe it was 20 years ago when a bunch of us were sharing a beer at Spencer’s Corner and wondering how to take advantage of the fact that Bridge Street — right outside the door — is recognized as the shortest street in the world in everyday use. It dawned on me that we could have a 98-foot parade and bill it as the world’s shortest.
“That was 20 years ago, and for years now our wacky little parade has brought international attention to Hot Springs as a really great place to have a good time.”
The parade annually attracts crowds of upwards of 30,000 people to watch an insanely zany collection of Irish Elvis impersonators, marching units, floats, dancers and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, as well as other unique units cover the 98-foot length of Bridge Street.
For more information call Steve Arrison, 501-321-2027.