Celebrating their 40th year marching in Butte parades is the Pipes and Drums Band of the Edmonton Police Service, a group that has been a parade favorite since 1984.
Their appearance came with a lot less fanfare in 1984, only warranting a paragraph in a story printed a couple days before St. Patrick’s Day.
At the time, Bill Little, owner of BJ’s Ore House at 1000 S. Montana St., told a Montana Standard reporter that he had “a few guys from Canada coming down.” Little went on to say that the group would “be at the bar with their bagpipes wearing kilts and stuff.”
The rest they say is history and the bagpipers have now become an integral part of the Butte celebration. They will be here Friday-Sunday, kilts and all, playing at several venues around town, including an 11:30 a.m. appearance Saturday at the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse. Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher will also be in attendance.
People are also reading…
According to George Everett, Mainstreet Uptown Butte director, contributions are always welcome to help defray the expenses of the Edmonton Pipers while they are in Butte. Those expenses include lodging, meals and transportation expenses.
Donations can be sent directly to Mainstreet Uptown Butte, P.O. Box 696, Butte, Montana 59703 with a notation that the donation is for the Friends of the Pipers Fund.
For more details, call or text Mainstreet at 406-565-2249 or send an email to [email protected].
This year’s schedule is listed below.
10:15 a.m., Southwest Montana Veterans Home. 65 Veterans Circle
11:30 a.m., Butte-Silver Bow Court House, 155 W. Granite St.
12:30 p.m., Headframe Spirits, 21 S. Montana St.
2:15 p.m., Shenanigans Bar & Casino, 1000 S. Excelsior Ave.
3:30 p.m., Butte Plaza Mall, 3100 Harrison Ave.
4:30 p.m., Pair-a-Dice Bar, 1653 Harrison Ave.
5:30 p.m., Crazee Carols, 2702 Walnut St.
6:30 p.m., Butte Brewery, 465 E. Galena St.
7:45 p.m., Helsinki Bar 402 E. Broadway St.
9 p.m., Fifty One Below, 51 W. Park St.
9:15 a.m., Crest Nursing Home, 3131 Amherst Ave.
10:30 a.m., Copper Ridge Health & Rehab, 3251 Nettie St.
Noon, Uptown Butte parade
1 p.m., Metals Sports Bar & Grill, 8 W. Park St.
3:30 p.m., Sam’s Place, 905 N. Excelsior Ave.
5 p.m., Shawn O’Donnell’s Pub, 123 N. Main St.
6:30 p.m., Handing Down the Heritage, Butte Civic Center, 1340 Harrison Ave.
8:30 p.m., M & M Bar & Cafe, 17 N. Main St.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!