Holyoke, Massachusetts, St. Patrick's Day Parade

Here in Massachusetts there exists a large Irish population. During the great potato famine, many Irish settled in the area due to the proliferation of both industrial and agricultural jobs allowing the emigres a way to bring more relatives over from "the Olde Sod" and to better lives here in America.

Here in Western Mass we are host to the second largest St. Patrick's Day Celebration in the United States of America. The Holyoke, MA's parade is second only to New York City's festivities. Holyoke begins planning for the following year as soon as the current parade has past.

The parade contains local, regional and national high school bands, military units that encompass the entire US history. Revolutionary War and Civil War re-enactor groups the local Air and Army National Guard units and occasionally groups of active military. Not to be forgotten are the various groups of military Veteran's groups. American Legion, VFW posts and Vietnam Veterans groups as well as various scouting and youth organizations take part.

Rarely does inclement weather cancel the event, I marched one year in pouring rain that turned to sleet and freezing rain and then to snow of all things. No, the partying never stops in Holyoke but it has been turned down a bit. A few years back, after parade marchers were seen running into local bars along the route and emerging after a couple of shots of Irish whiskey or a green beer, sometime even emerging with an adult beverage and continuing on to march in step while carrying said adult beverage. Well, the good mayor of the city saw fit to close the bars on parade day thereby lowering the count of "self-inflicted" head wounds the next morning.

Of course, the festivities begin long before parade day by several months time when the Parade Colleen contest and vote takes place, followed by the Colleen Dinner and Dance where the winner and her court are announced to the public. This is followed by the Parade Committee's Ball where their choice of Grand Marshall is announced. I can remember when the late President John F. Kennedy was the parade Marshall. His late brother Edward M. Kennedy was parade Marshall some years back as well as assorted local and regional dignitaries. This annual celebration invites many celebrities to the area to act as Grand Marshall of the parade.

Along with all this parade to do even the local merchants get into the spirit by holding St. Paddy's Day sales and specials. Everyone from auto dealers to liquor store to shopping centers and malls get into the spirit of things hoping to gain financially from this event. Every year it seems that the estimated parade route gets more and more people standing in all types of weather just to see the festivities, which have become a nation-wide known family outing day and the precursor to spring.