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Beginning of the 2009 St. Patrick's Day Parade (photo courtesy of Irish Philadelphia Photo Essays)

Dust off  your green plastic hat and find your oversized shamrock pin, because St. Patrick’s Day is nearly here! This Sunday, March 14th at 12 noon, Philadelphia’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be rolling through Center City (it begins at 20th and Market Streets), going up the Benjamin Franklin Party and straight out the Art Museum. Bring rain hats and rubber boots, as the forecast is calling for rain for the next three days straight.

This year’s parade theme is “St. Patrick, Model of Unity for the Church and the World,” and it will feature Grand Marshal Seamus Boyle. Parade participants include marching bands, Irish dance schools, youth groups and Irish Associations.

For those of you who can’t make it out, CW Philly will be broadcasting live between the hours of 12 noon and 3 p.m. They will also stream the parade on CBS 3 and CW Philly. The parade will reair on both stations on March 17th. Click here for more information on those rebroadcasts.

To see photos of last year’s parade, take a look at this Flickr set by Irish Philadelphia Photo Essays.