The 10th Annual St Patrick’s Parade and Festival, the largest of its kind in NW Florida, has an added feature this year. Along with the Irish bands, face painting, and of course, green beer, each ticket holder is entered into a drawing for a plot of land in North East Ireland.
Supplied by Emerald Heritage, the estate is situated in Glendun, Ireland, which is seventh of the 9 famous Glens Of Antrim and officially designated as an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Ireland. The Glens Of Antrim are one of the Ireland’s gems, where rugged, awe-inspiring coastline fuses with deep, hushed valleys. Some of the television show “Game of Thrones” was filmed in this area.
A personalized Master Title Deed will be included in the winning package along with official legal deed and documentation of land ownership.
The largest St Patrick’s celebration in NW Florida takes place March 18th at Gulf Place and on 30a with the parade and festival. Defuniak Springs Mayor Bob Campbell will be this year’s Grand Marshal.“The Protection And Enhancement Of The Irish Landscape Is The Primary Goal Of Emerald Heritage”
Emerald Heritage was formed by Irish people for Irish people in response to the erosion of both Ireland’s landscape and aspects of our shared culture.
Not content to sit back as great swathes of Ireland’s natural habitat and history was put to the sword, never to return, we decided to act.
For an island famed for its sublime scenery and emerald hue it may come as a surprise to many to learn that Ireland is the least wooded country in Europe with just 1% of our native woodland remaining. Centuries of unchecked development has resulted in this sad statistic and unless something is done the landscape, together with the plants, birds, and animals that call it home, will be lost forever.
Emerald Heritage’s unwavering commitment to this goal led to the creation of the souvenir plot scheme. Pulling our resources to purchase land in the Glens Of Antrim we set about safeguarding the natural beauty of this island.
It’s a cause we are confident will strike a chord with people the world over. The Great Famine and subsequent Diaspora may have cast Irish men and women to the four corners, but they carried in their hearts a love of the Old Country that has been passed down through the generations.
Each plot purchased saves it from the developer’s digger. We will also re-invest your money, buying up more land, planting more trees, and restoring historical buildings under threat of demolition.
We will allow woodland to regenerate naturally, providing a safe haven for wildlife (and people) in perpetuity.
With your support we will solve this age-old conservation conundrum and save the Emerald Isle’s landscape. If we succeed Irish eyes will be smiling from Boston to Birmingham, Melbourne to Philly.
Bring your kids to the “wee folk” area for costume prizes for fairy princesses and pirates along with adult VIP whiskey tasting tickets. Top notch Celtic entertainment will also be on hand all day. The Parade kicks off the festival at 2pm and the festival gates open at 3pm, with proceeds to benefit United for a Good Cause 501c Youth Program. More information at www.30aparade.com
Event Information The parade commences on Scenic 30a Santa Rosa Beach Florida March 18th 2pm and ends at Gulf Place, where headliner Whiskey of The Damned and Irish Dance are part of the festival starting at 3pm. For tickets and details visit www.30Aparade.com
