BATON ROUGE - With just one full day to go before the 35th Annual Wearin' of the Green Parade, excitement is brewing.

Owner of Raising Cane's Todd Graves says he's been going to the parade for as long as he can remember.

"I grew up going to this parade. I'm thinking my first parade was high school, and then my wife and I, Gwen, we were dating when we'd go to the parade," Graves said. "And then taking my kids later and riding in the parade with my kids. It's just such great tradition."

He's honored to be this year's Grand Marshal after being chosen in 2020. The past two parades were canceled due to the pandemic, but now that it's back, he's beyond ready to get rolling. 

"As it stands, I'm the longest running Grand Marshal in parade history," Graves joked.

Many surprises are in store for the big day, including St. Patrick's Day stuffed animals made to resemble the Raising Cane's dog and Raising Cane's beads. A special guest will also be riding alongside Graves on his Grand Marshal float.

"Nelly's going to ride on the Grand Marshal float with me," Graves said. "He actually loves Baton Rouge and the talks about the parade, so he's coming down."

Graves won't just be feeling the luck of the Irish, he'll be wearing it. He, along with Pat and Michael Shingleton and others, will don an authentic Irish tartan made in the U.K. 

"The green and the white, obviously for the Wearin' of the Green Parade," Graves explained. "But we also have some brown mixed in there, and that's for the Mississippi River. And actually, Pat wanted to try to see if we could dye the Mississippi River green."

The parade's extensive history is even running through Graves' veins, as he says he is 35% Irish.

"With a name like Graves you wouldn't think I'm Irish," he said.

After a long hiatus for the parade, Graves is looking forward to seeing the smiles in the crowd on Saturday.

Click here for parade route information.