Rick Gibson decorates a float March 14, 2006, for last year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Henderson. The St. Patrick's Day parade travels through Henderson on March 19, 2005.

It's a year of firsts for the Sons of Erin's St. Patrick's Day Festival.

Comedian Carrot Top, the St. Patrick's Day parade's grand marshal, is the first headlining celebrity in the parade's history, says Bob Feeney, festival director. And the parade has its first corporate sponsor, Coldwell Banker Wardley.

The festival, which includes a carnival, runs from 4 p.m. to midnight today, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Henderson.

Hosted by Henderson and the Cultural Arts and Tourism Division, the festival also will include a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Las Vegas.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. and will include floats, high school marching bands, horses, clowns and Irish dignitaries. The parade will begin on East Ocean Street and continue to East Victory Road.

The entertainment portion of the festival, produced by John Stuart, producer of "Legends in Concert," will include 20 hours of free concerts featuring the Blues Brothers, the Las Vegas Tenors, D.J. Curtain and Irish Affair, Phil Flowers and Band Stand Revue, the Frankie Moreno Band, Sharon Lynn and her Irish Dancers, Basic High School Choral Group, the George Dare Show, Michael Cagle and Vocal Forte, John Windsor's Irish tunes, Fifth Avenue Jazz, Nevada School of the Arts, Gym Cats and Flava, among others.

Grand opening ceremonies start at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Henderson Event Center and Amphitheater on Water Street.

That will be followed by the introduction of the parade's grand marshal, Carrot Top, at 1 p.m.

In addition, there will be vendors with American, Chinese, French, Irish, Hawaiian and Mexican food, specialty arts and craft vendors, glass blowing demonstrations, face painting and raffles.

Admission to the festival is free.

Other St. Patrick's Day events include:

• MonteLago Village, the Auld Dubliner Irish pub and Bistro Zinc restaurant at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson have created a St. Patrick's Day Celebration for today and Saturday.

There will be entertainment, food and activities including a performance by traditional Irish singer Ashley Davis, formerly with "Lord of the Dance," and guitarist John Walsh at 7 p.m. today next to the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub; a children's Irish workshop with Davis at 1 p.m. Saturday that will include traditional Irish songs, music and stories in the Villagio Conference Room in MonteLago Village; and the Fearon O'Connor School of Irish Dance at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. Saturday in the events plaza at MonteLago Village.

The Auld Dubliner will present live entertainment by Davis and Walsh in the Events Plaza at 7 p.m. Saturday and will serve traditional Irish fare, including corned beef and cabbage and imported Irish beers, throughout the evening.

Bistro Zinc will have food and drink offerings such as corned beef and cabbage egg rolls, mini corned beef sliders and green beer.

Admission and parking are free. For more information, call (564-1600).

• The St. Patrick's Day Dance, with music by the Don Burke Orchestra, begins at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 Bush St.

Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For more information, call 229-6383.