HOLYOKE — Paper City is expected to turn into a sea of green this weekend, with Holyoke’s storied St. Patrick’s Day festivities set to draw thousands of attendees.

The events begin on Saturday with 47th annual Holyoke St. Patrick’s 10K Road Race, with the starting line at the intersection of Maple and Lyman streets in Holyoke. The race begins at 1 p.m.

The race kicks-off with live entertainment and a presentation of the JFK National Award, presented to an Irish-American who has distinguished themselves in their field. Past honorees have included actress Maureen O’Hara, author Tom Clancy and the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team Arthur Rooney.

This year’s winner is Mike Gorman, known across New England for being the play-by-play commentator for the Boston Celtics. Gorman has been calling Celtics games for 43 years, with plans to retire at the end of this year. He also formerly served as an aviator in the U.S. Navy for five years prior to becoming a broadcaster.

“He is a legend in the sports world, especially among the legion of Boston Celtics fans who for over 40 years have depended on his play-by-play voice,” said Hayley Dunn, who chairs the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke. “Mike’s Irish wit have made him a cherished figure in the sportscasting world, and I’m thrilled we will be honoring him with this award in his farewell season with the Celtics.”

Also being honored at this year’s parade is Mary Lynch, a lifelong Holyoke resident, professor at Holyoke Community College and a member of the St. Patrick’s Committee since 1989, who will serve as grand marshal. Elizabeth Katherine Gourde, a Holyoke resident and recent graduate of the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, will serve as this year’s grand colleen.

The parade, taking place for the 71st time, begins at 11:10 a.m. at the K-Mart plaza on 2211 Northampton St. and stretches 2.65 miles, ending at around 3 p.m. ending on Hampden Street.

As always, the parade will feature U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and several representatives from the government of the Republic of Ireland. This year, guests from the republic include Rossa Fanning, the attorney general of Ireland, and Paul Rooney, the country’s vice consul general. The parade’s Ambassador Award will go to Catherine Shannon, a history professor at Westfield State University who between 1982 and 1999 convened five conferences in the United States to find common ground to bring about peace in the Northern Ireland conflict.

“Having these dignitaries and ambassador award really elevates our parade compared to some others,” Dunn said. “It’s truly regional event that focuses on our communities.”

Contingents from several other nearby municipalities will also participate in the parade, including Northampton, Easthampton Amherst and South Hadley in Hampshire County. New this year is a people’s choice award for the 28 different musical bands participating in the parade, including drum and pipe bands and high school marching bands.

Weather is expected to be in the mid-50s, with some rain expected for Sunday’s parade. Despite the rain, the weather is expected to be an improvement from the previous year, which featured freezing temperatures on the day of the parade.

“It’s going to be a great day,” Dunn said. “It’s not going to be 70 degrees and sunny, but that’s alright. People love to wear their Irish sweaters.”

First held in 1952, the parade has drawn some of the biggest crowds of any St. Patrick’s Day event across the country, and is estimated to bring in millions of dollars in economic impact to the city of Holyoke. The parade gained further prestige when then-U.S. senator and later President John F. Kennedy participated in the parade in 1958, who was also the first recipient of the award that now bears his name.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.