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Mike "Rook" Richards has spent years chasing music across the country. But on Saturday, he'll be riding down King Street in a car — no guitar, no microphone — simply waving to the city that made him.
Richards is the 2026 Grand Marshal of the Ballyshaners 43rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, set for Saturday, March 7, in Old Town. The procession steps off at St. Asaph and Wolfe streets at 12:30 p.m., with dignitaries leading at 12:15 p.m. The route heads north on St. Asaph to King Street, turns east on King — past the grandstand near Royal Street — then south on Pitt Street, finishing at Pitt and Duke.
He grew up off Quander Road in Fairfax County, graduated from West Potomac High School in 2007, and spent his teenage years learning guitar before heading out to the sidewalks of Old Town to busk with friends — all while pulling shifts at the Mount Vernon Rec Center as a rink guard and self-described "Zamboni driver." Eventually, the road called. He toured across the country, but Alexandria kept pulling him back, first as a regular on the stages of Murphy's Irish Pub, Daniel O'Connell's, Northside 10, Southside 815, and Augie's Mussel House, and then, when the pandemic hit, for good.
"When COVID hit, I really put my hands into working in my hometown," Richards said in a phone interview Sunday. "That's what happened, I suppose."
He moved into an apartment on Alfred Street during the pandemic and performed exclusively in Alexandria, an experience that cemented what he said he already knew. He now lives in the Mount Vernon area with his wife, Annie, and their black lab, Coal.
The Grand Marshal honor caught him off guard. Someone mentioned it in passing at a gig, and he dismissed it. Then Kate Brennan, the general manager of Daniel O'Connell's, texted him months later to follow up.
"I didn't really take it very seriously," Richards said. "And then I guess they voted me in, and I started really taking it seriously."
He described the recognition as meaningful not just personally but as an acknowledgment of his investment in the community. Beyond performing, Richards has spent years running sound for the Ballyshaners at the parade — hauling in his own equipment, setting up the stage — and playing the organization's annual Green Eggs and Beer fundraiser at the Fish Market for the past three or four years. This year, with Grand Marshal duties on his plate, he hired a sound technician to handle the setup, though the gear is still his.
"I'm just a kind of blue-collar guy," he said. "I like to be involved in working with my hands a little bit instead of just sitting back and being recognized."
Parade day will be anything but leisurely. Richards plans to be up by 6:30 a.m. to load gear, get to the stage, and brief his sound technician. He'll then join Ballyshaners organizers — including Brennan and fellow volunteer Sam — for a breakfast at O'Connell's to go over the day's itinerary before stepping into the Grand Marshal's car. After the procession, he'll head straight to the Fish Market for the charitable event, then regroup with his band — drummer Calvin, guitarist Steve and singer-guitarist Kenny Kohlhaas — for a post-parade set at O'Connell's.
His parents, Brenda and Jeff Richards, who still live in the area, will be on the reviewing stand along with his two brothers, Josh and Joseph, his wife, and his mother-in-law.
A forecast of near 77 degrees with a 30% chance of rain had him optimistic. "It's going to be a beautiful day," he said, pegging it at 70. "Nice to get out and be in the sun a little bit again."
When Richards is not preparing to wave from a parade car, he is splitting time between Alexandria and Nashville, working on his next studio project. His upcoming single, "Shine," is currently being pitched to radio by his label and is slated as the lead single from a full record expected later this year. He is also planning a run of state and county fairs in Minneapolis and the Midwest.
Locally, he hosts the open mic night at Murphy's Irish Pub every Thursday, where he opens each night with original material and encourages emerging musicians to do the same.
"There's some people in town that will request original stuff that already know them, which is kind of cool," he said.
He keeps his schedule posted on social media, with Instagram as the most reliable way to track upcoming appearances. This week alone he is playing six nights across five venues before Saturday's parade — Murphy's Irish Pub on Sunday, Mason Social on Monday, Mamma's Kitchen and Southside 815 on Wednesday, and KILN at Hotel Heron followed by the Murphy's open mic on Thursday, before a Friday night set at O'Connell's on the eve of the parade.
A Grand Marshal celebration honoring Richards was held Friday, Feb. 27, at The Alexandrian, featuring live music, a silent auction, and a signature welcome cocktail. He acknowledged organizers Brennan and Sam for their work keeping the parade running.
"Kate and Sam, they've really done a bang-up job keeping this whole thing together," Richards said. "I don't think they get recognized enough for that."
The Ballyshaners — whose name is derived from the Gaelic word for "Old Towners" — were founded in 1980 and have organized the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade ever since. The 43rd annual event features Irish dancers, pipe bands and local groups. The closest Metro stop is King Street/Old Town on the Blue Line, with a free trolley from the station or a 10-minute walk down King Street.
For Richards, the day is less about the title and more about the place.
"It's my hometown," he said.
Follow Rook Richards on Instagram for upcoming tour dates, new music releases and local gig listings.
Rook Richards: Upcoming Gigs
Sunday, March 1 — Murphy's Grand Irish Pub, 713 King St. | 8:30 p.m.
Monday, March 2 — Mason Social, 728 N. Henry St. | 5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4 — Mamma's Kitchen, 7601 Fordson Road | 5:30 p.m. — Southside 815, 815 S. Washington St. | 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 5 — KILN at Hotel Heron, 699 Prince St. | 6 p.m. — Murphy's Open Mic, 713 King St. | 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6 — Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar, 112 King St. | 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 — St. Patrick's Day Parade, Market Square, 300 King St. | 10 a.m. — Green Eggs & Beer Fundraiser, Fish Market, 105 King St. | 2 p.m. — Daniel O'Connell's, 112 King St. | 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 — Murphy's Grand Irish Pub, 713 King St. | 8:30 p.m.
Monday, March 9 — Mason Social, 728 N. Henry St. | 5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11 — Mamma's Kitchen, 7601 Fordson Road | 5:30 p.m. — Southside 815, 815 S. Washington St. | 9:30 p.m.
See his full schedule at https://www.rookrichards.com/
