The luck of the Irish blessed us all with a perfect day on Saturday, March 14, for this year’s stellar St. Patrick’s Day Parade through the heart of Ventura. Thousands lined the streets, dressed in their green finery and wearing festive smiles, all of them sharing one of our finest annual traditions!

Guided by the “Catch the Leprechaun Spirit” parade theme, the dozens of entries made their way down Main Street in every vehicle imaginable with joyous music and the steps of marchers and dancers filling the air. The parade route was packed with happy families sharing a sunny day and a truly epic parade.

More than two dozen awards were handed out for wonderful floats from clubs and organizations, creatively decorated vehicles, marching bands and more. E.J. Harrison & Sons actually won a plaque for business entry, beating our partner company Agromin. Agromin's entry was beyond spectacular, but I guess it was our turn!

I would like to thank every one of you who came out to join us on that perfect day. As co-chairs of the parade planning committee, Jim Monahan, Brian Brennan and I were thrilled to see such a massive amount of community support for this fun event.

And we couldn’t have done it without the cooperation of SO MANY of you – starting with the City of Ventura and its special events staff, as well as the Ventura City Council. How awesome to see council members riding and walking in the parade!

Thank you to our dozens of local sponsors, special thanks to our founder, Jim Monahan, and to Downtown Ventura, which stepped up to the plate for the parade. Special thanks also go out to 2026 parade Grand Marshal Brian Brennan, a longtime former Ventura councilman and former mayor, a noted environmentalist working for Ventura County Supervisor Matt LaVere as an environmental expert, and our parade co-chair.

The parade is more than just a holiday celebration. It’s also an opportunity to honor all we have in common, including this wonderful Ventura County life. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Jim and I, along with members of the Harrison family, joined many others to support Girls Inc. of Carpinteria for its 2026 Gala event on March 7.

The event theme was “Watch Her Rise: An evening of impact and inspiration.” The gala was filled with celebration, connection, and a shared commitment to ensuring that girls in Carpinteria have access to programs that build confidence, leadership and opportunity.

The event featured exciting silent and live auctions, and a gourmet dinner hosted by Omni Catering. The gala was capped off on the dance floor with music by DJ Darla Bea. It was only fitting that so many female-owned businesses and vendors brought this event to life!

Every ticket purchased and every bid placed directly supported Girls Inc. of Carpinteria programs, including after-school enrichment, leadership development, and college and career readiness. We were so pleased to sponsor this event and be part of such a wonderful evening supporting such a worthy cause.

Several of us from E.J. Harrison & Sons were among California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) supporters attending the university's Connections Breakfast on March 24. 

The breakfast showcases university programs and initiatives, and provides an opportunity to honor local businesses, nonprofits and faculty members who contribute to the campus.

Among those honored were SAGE Publishing, named Business Partner of the Year; Bartlett, Pringle & Wolfe, LLP, named Employer Partner of the Year; Brenton Spies, Faculty Partner of the Year; and student Chloe Brown, named Intern of the Year. The Nonprofit Partner of the Year award was presented to Monica White, president of Food Share of Ventura County.

We at Harrison are proud to support the university in multiple ways and always love attending events highlighting the contributions this wonderful institution makes to our community.

On March 18, the Ventura County Taxpayers Association held its March Breakfast Club meeting at Limoniera in Santa Paula. Lynn Harrison and George Harrison were on hand for a presentation by John Carnesale of Taylor Financial LLC and Mike Schmitt from the Rubra Group regarding the private/public proposal their team is leading to save Santa Paula Hospital from possible closure. 

This important community resource faces an uncertain future and could be closed by 2030 if solutions are not found. The two financiers discussed potential relocation options being considered. This important and informative discussion highlighted the value of VCTA Breakfast Club meetings and why E.J. Harrison & Sons is proud to sponsor these events.