Rio Rancho Volunteers Revive Beloved Painted Shamrock Tradition for St. Patrick's Day

A painted shamrock made a comeback at a busy Rio Rancho intersection this St. Patrick's Day, the artwork rendered in an unmistakable Kelly green and clearly visible during the morning rush of traffic. The shamrock appeared at the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Country Club Road on Tuesday, March 17.

The tradition, which dates back decades, was started by a small group that included former Observer Publisher Mike Ryan. St. Patrick's Day 2026 was just the latest sighting of the local shamrock, which some longtime residents noted had been absent in recent years.

The group, holding down a large stencil with their feet, would spray paint the shamrock outline before using roller brushes to fill in the rest, with all the work done in the middle of the night while local law enforcement and volunteers helped block off traffic. Elizabeth Kenney Garcia, who painted the shamrock during its early years, said the group would take pictures of themselves with their work after finishing, and she would call her dad, an Irishman, in the middle of the night to brag about what she had done. "I said, 'Dad, we painted the shamrock!' He said, 'You're messed up!'" Garcia recalled with a laugh.

Garcia has long resisted requests to expand the tradition to multiple intersections along Southern. "You don't want to do overkill because (one) kind of gives it a mysterious vibe, anyhow," she said. She also noted the community reaction the morning after: "A lot of parents say, 'Look, the leprechauns came!' And teachers love it, because then they tell their students, 'Did you see the leprechauns came last night?'"

Kate Padilla, a certified dance teacher at the Brightburn Academy of Irish Dance in Rio Rancho, said the shamrock's annual return is something the community genuinely anticipates. "We look forward to seeing that shamrock every year! The few times it hasn't been here, it's a little bit of a bummer," she said. For Padilla, the painted shamrock carries meaning beyond the holiday itself: "It's just a great reminder of the Irish culture that does exist here in New Mexico and Rio Rancho."

While Padilla marks St. Patrick's Day with her faith and Irish dancing, the shamrock at Southern gives her something she calls truly unique. "It's a great way for Rio Rancho to be united and have something to look forward to in the spring," she said.

The city of Rio Rancho confirmed it is not involved in the tradition, making the shamrock an entirely grassroots act, carried forward year after year by volunteers who wait until the city sleeps before getting to work.