Thousands turn out for parade

Thousands lined the route of the First Ever Seventh Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Hot Springs on a chilly Wednesday evening to watch the parade’s first female celebrity grand marshal, Bo Derek, take the short trip down Bridge Street. The sojourn took longer than usual, however, as Derek, who achieved iconic sex symbol status for her role in the Blake Edwards comedy “10,” walked the entire 98-foot route (which had slightly shrunk, organizers said, because of the wet and cold winter), tossing beads, signing autographs and waving to the crowd as The Beach Boys’ “California Girls” blared in the background. Steve Arrison, CEO of the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the route was so crowded that it actually slowed down the parade’s progress. Aside from jamming the Bridge Street/Broadway Entertainment District area, parade watchers stretched south along Central as far back as Market Street.