The theme of New London’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is, appropriately enough, “Everyone Is Irish for a Day.”

Local bands, civic groups, youth groups and Irish organizations will make their way through downtown starting at noon on Sunday for this year’s procession. Among the participants are New London’s Firefighters Pipe & Drum Band, the Naval Submarine School Silver Dolphins, Gray School of Irish Dance, and the Ancient Mariners of Connecticut.

The route is 3/4 of a mile, traveling along Bank, State and Washington streets. The review stand will be on Parade Plaza, which is at the corner of Bank and State.

This year’s grand marshal is Father Mark D. O’Donnell, who has served the Diocese of Norwich at St. John Church in Cromwell, as the diocesan associate director of vocations, chaplain and teacher at St. Bernard High School, chairman of the continuing education and formation commission for the clergy, and as pastor of St. Agnes Church in Niantic, St. Joseph Church in New London, Our Lady of Grace, Fishers Island, NY, St. Mary Church in New London and St. Paul Church, Waterford.

The parade is sponsored by the City of New London and the Downtown New London Association, and it’s produced by Neff Productions.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, noon Sunday, New London; starts at corner of Bank and Tilley streets, heads north on Bank, left on State and ends on Washington; rain or shine; downtownnewlondonassociation.com.