If you are going downtown today, be sure to wear green.

The 19th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade gets under way at 1 p.m. at South Park. The parade will feature about 100 entries, which will line up and take a route down Massachusetts Street to 501 N. Ninth.

This year’s parade grand marshal is Cliff McDonald. The Senior king and queen are Vern and Ila Russell. Alicia Roberts, the 2006 St. Patrick’s Day queen, also will reign over the parade.

The parade has raised more than $340,000 for local children’s charities during the previous 18 years. Proceeds from this year’s parade will benefit Health Care Access, Douglas County 4-H Afterschool Programs and Douglas County Friends of Children in Foster Care.