The sounds of bagpipes filled the frigid air and green beer flowed from bar taps Saturday as Wilimgton’s 46th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade made its way down King Street.
Hundreds of children and adults — donned in green festive attire — lined the sidewalks from Fourth and 14th streets to watch a slew of vibrant floats, marching bands and dancers. The parade concluded with a “Hooley” where alcohol and food were sold.
While the events proceeded up the streets of downtown Wilmington, Lawrence Moye waited patiently for a better view of the festivities as marchers passed by. For almost 20 years, Moye marched in the parade, which is held a week in advance of the Irish holiday every year. He reminisced on first participating in 1998.
“I first started as a marcher and then I became a truck driver for a fleet that we had every year,” Moye said. “We had a really big group and it was so much fun.” This parade is still a great outing for everyone, he added.
The annual event, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is organized by the Irish Club of Delaware. Saturday’s event was back in “full swing” for the first time since the pandemic, said Kevin Freel, a board member of the club.
“The parade was ‘very’ abbreviated last year because of bad weather … we got sideways rain, sideways snow and unbelievable wind — it was crazy,” Freel said.
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Freel, who emceed the entire parade, called the festivities a “fun day” of affirmation for those who celebrate Irish heritage.
“It’s so great that we’re back doing it full-scale after three years of disappointment,” Freel explained.
Gerry Conaty and his wife, Jackie, have attended the parade since the 1970s and said they appreciate the sense of community that the event brings every year. The parade represents different emotions for Conaty because his grandparents are originally from Ireland.
“It’s big for us to get together and see everybody once a year to celebrate our heritage on this day,” Conaty said.
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