Carbon County's tribute to Irish ancestry and heritage will take stage Sunday when the 18th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and related activities will be held.

Highlighting the weekend will be the three-division march down Broadway in Jim Thorpe, when Gary Dobias will be recognized as the grand marshal of the parade that is likely to attract thousands of visitors, as it has since 1998.

The parade will begin at 1 p.m. in upper Jim Thorpe (West Broadway), and will proceed to the courthouse complex area of town. It is once again being sponsored by the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee of Jim Thorpe and Carbon County Inc., a spinoff of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Alec Campbell Division 1, Carbon County, and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Mollie Maguire Division 1, Carbon County.

The annual Presentation of the Sashes Awards Dinner will be held Friday night at the Mahoning Valley Country Club, Lehighton, where Dobias was the guest of honor. Also recognized during the program were the aides to the grand marshal.

The traditional Mass in honor of St. Patrick will be held at 4:30 this afternoon in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on West Broadway in Jim Thorpe. The Mass also serves as a blessing to the grand marshal, aides, past and present officers for the AOH and the LAOH and those officers and members of the organizations who have passed away.

In preparation for the parade, Broadway will be closed to all traffic at 11:45 a.m. Sunday.

Since no parking will be available in the downtown area, parking will be provided at the Carbon County parking lot, with additional parking at Jim Thorpe Area High School, 1 Olympian Way, and Carbon Career & Technical Institute, West 13th Street. A shuttle service, running at every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., between the high school, CCTI and the county courthouse annex will be provided.

These shuttles will also stop at Ninth and North streets and Sixth and North streets. Signs for buses will be posted. Three shuttle buses for participants will also be provided from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Motorists are advised that parking along Route 209 will not be permitted. Vehicles parked along Route 209 on the Mansion House Hill in Mahoning Township will be towed.

Additionally, the members of the AOH remind spectators to respect the parade and its participants by not interfering with the parade or any private parties along the parade route. "We have lost some participants in the past due to rude and improper behavior from spectators," said Hugh Dugan, chairman of the AOH's parade committee. "The quickest way to ruin this great parade is by spectators giving it a bad reputation. We ask that people respect all participants and that everyone join in by policing the area around you for bad behavior."

The lineup for this year's parade is as follows:

First Division

Jim Thorpe Police Department Cruiser and Mayor Michael Sofranko; Banner of St. Patrick; Grand Marshal Gary Dobias; Aides to the Grand Marshal; Lochiel Emerald Society Pipe and Drums; Ancient Order of Hibernians, Carbon County Chapter; Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Carbon County Chapter; Chuck Thamarus Truck; California Raisins VW Beetle; Jim Thorpe Area High School Band; Congressman Matthew Cartwright; state Sen. John Yudichak; state Rep. Doyle Heffley; Carbon County Commissioners Thomas J. Gerhard, Wayne Nothstein and William O'Gurek; District Attorney Jean Engler; Carbon County Prothonotary Joann Behrens; Carbon County Director of Veterans' Affairs Henry Desrosiers; Ceol Neamh; Lehigh County Ancient Order of Hibernians; Schuylkill-Carbon Marine Corps League Detachment 626; Quitapahilla Highlanders Pipe Band; U.S. Postal truck; Eclectic Circus; Bear Creek Golf Carts; and Sinister Rouge Pin Up and More.

Second Division

Brian Boru Pipes and Drums, Jim Thorpe Fire Department, Celtic United Pipe and Drums, Black Jack Kehoe, Division 4, Delaware County, Forks of Delaware Tin Lizzies, Panther Valley Irish Americans, Mahoning Valley Fire Company No. 1, Kerry Dancers, Mahanoy City Historical Society, Tresckow Fire Company, Blue Eagle Alumni Drum and Bugle Corp., 81st Pennsylvania Company K Civil War Re-enactors, Lansford AMVETS, Bob Swaim: Bob, The Bike Guy, Star Hose Company 1, Patchtown Players, Carbon County Labor Chapter, New Columbus Fire Company, McDonald's of Nesquehoning, Paddy the Irish Santa, Nesquehoning Hose Company No. 1, Nesquehoning Ambulance, Messengers Motorcycle Club, Lehighton Ford, Carbon County Friends of Animals and Masonic Lodge/Jim Thorpe.

Third Division

Hawk Mountain Highlanders, Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Heisler's Milk Wagon, Yuengling Brewery Wagon, WLEV, Albrightsville Fire Company, Freedom Community Church, Lake Harmony Fire Company, Broome County Celtic Pipes and Drums, The Carbon County Shrine Club, Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company, Lehighton KIA, Dickson City Hyundai, Brodheadsville Chevrolet, Franklin Township Fire Company, Nae Breeks, Pennsylvania Mentor, Lehighton Fire Department, Emmaus Sentinels, Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company 1, 903 Rentals, West End Fire Company, A and J Limo, Summit Hill Diligence Fire Company, Lehighton Ambulance, Mahoning Valley Ambulance and East Penn Fire Department.