It might be a surprise to many locals, but students enrolled in Northern Arizona University’s Parks and Recreation Management Program course 325 — Special Event Planning — play one of the pivotal roles in getting Sedona’s St. Patrick’s Parade off the ground each year.

“The parade has a strong community tradition and has been organized by many different community groups over the years, leading to a lack of consistency in the quality of the event,” stated the course website. “The PRM 325 Special Events class has been organizing the parade since 1999.”

As per the course description, students enrolled in the course are introduced “to special event planning processes and techniques. Emphasis is on creating, organizing, identifying sponsors, marketing and implementing large community events.”

To read the full story, see the Friday, March 13, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.