Boston's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Sunday, March 15, beginning at 10 a.m. The breakfast got its start over a century ago, and has grown into a major political gathering over the years.
State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry will host the annual event. The breakfast will be televised in its entirety on necn and livestreamed on www.necn.com.
New this year, necn will be hosting a Live from the Green Carpet special before the annual breakfast. Kicking off at 9 AM, necn Anchor Latoyia Edwards and Chief Meteorologist Matt Noyes will host, with Political Reporter Alison King and Reporter Ally Donnelly offering coverage and live interviews as guests arrive at the event, which draws in the state’s most prominent names in politics and public service each year. Jim Braude will again anchor the breakfast for necn and King will also offer live reports, interviews from the Green Room and analysis during the event.
Last year marked a milestone in the event's history, as Forry became the first person of color and the first woman to host the breakfast.
"I was deeply honored to host last year's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast and I am excited to do it again," Forry said. "This is a time-honored tradition in South Boston - and across New England - and I am grateful to take on the responsibility of organizer and host. We are working hard to make sure that this year's breakfast is a fun and roaring success."
The lineup for this year's breakfast is still in development, but most of the state's most prominent leaders are expected to attend, including Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and many more. The South Boston elected delegation will all participate in the event.
Here are some more interesting facts about the annual event:
- It will take approximately 12 pounds of coffee, or an estimated 39,000 beans, to make all of the coffee that will be served that morning.
- It would take one cow a full day to produce all the cream used for that coffee.
- More than 20 servers will attend to the guests, seated in 560 chairs, using more than 1,200 utensils.
- Bakers will start working at 4 a.m., with the kitchen in full swing around 6 a.m in order to make all of the breakfast pastries.
- Last year's St. Patrick's breakfast was praised by the Irish Times, Ireland's leading daily newspaper: "For the estimated 70 million worldwide who claim Irish heritage," wrote Simon Carswell in the Times, "there couldn't be a better ambassador for the changing face of the Irish diaspora than Linda Dorcena Forry."
- Last year marked the first ever appearance at the breakfast by the sitting Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Enda Kenny.
