In 1937, a Shamrock bandmaster named Glenn Truax had a grand idea to host a Shamrock St. Patrick's Day Celebration. By capitalizing on the town's Irish name, he hoped to draw thousands of visitors to the Panhandle community.

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With help from the Shamrock Booster Club, the first St. Patrick's Day Festival was held in 1938. The inaugural event did, in fact, bring thousands of people to the small town, along with 12 bands.

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Although the extravaganza continued to grow over the next few years, it was canceled during World War II, only to be revived in 1950 thanks to the American Legion and Junior Chamber of Commerce.

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The Korean Conflict also lead to the event being canceled in 1951. The following year, in 1952, the Shamrock Chamber of Commerce took over the Celebration.

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In 2013, the Texas Legislature passed HCR 83, which designated the Shamrock St. Patrick's Celebration as the official St. Patrick's Day Celebration for the State of Texas.

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