Happy Saint Pat’s day. Lots to celebrate today and in the next coming months:

First, The Marche du Nain Rouge is this Sunday! It was easily the finest first-year event I think I have ever seen in Detroit last year, so get your dancing shoes ready. The parade is free, family-friendly and just plain fun. Dress up if you want, too. Opening ceremonies begin at 1pm at 3rd Bar (Corner of Third and Forest), with the march commencing shortly thereafter through the Cass Corridor. Everything ends with the banishment of the dwarf in Cass Park at about 3pm. The Night Move is even offering shuttles back to 3rd Bar from Cass Park for $2 a head. Deal! Read last year’s thoughts on the parade here.

Next week is the IDEA: Detroit Conference with a list of speakers ranging from Joe McClure (of the pickle fame) to Toby Barlow (of the Team Detroit and Ford fame) to Kate Daughdrill (of the SOUP fame). “Provocative thinking, shared experiences and inspired, workable business ideas are the earmarks of The IDEA Conference, a collaboration of Advertising Age and Crain’s Detroit Business.” Register to attend here.

A bit further out is the Rust Belt to Artist Belt Conference happening right here in Day-Twah April 6-7th. The idea of the conference is to examine the idea that Detroit and its fellow Rust Belters have the assets to be global centers of design and creative innovation. To make that process easier, the goal is to create connections between designers, manufacturers and creative sector business owners to hammer out what the creative supply chain in the region looks and feels like and how we can best operate together– ie, getting all the ingredients on the supply side (creative vision, production and distribution) tightly wrapped up and working together nicely. The Rust Belt is situated to provide those connections amongst its cities. An interesting list of speakers is lined up and registration for the conference can be had here.