70th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates Irish culture

CHICAGO – The sights and sounds of Irish culture were on full display at the 70th annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

A sea of people wearing emerald green lined up hours ahead of time to see the parade’s participants march down Columbus Drive.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been all over the country and this is probably the best parade,” paradegoer Sean Patrick from Wisconsin said.

Brass instruments shined as bright as the sun as people enjoyed warm weather and musical selections that helped bring a taste of Ireland to Chicago.

The wide variety of performers this year included several high school marching bands from around the country.

The city’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities kicked off Saturday morning along the Chicago River as thousands of lucky people got to see the river dyed green, an annual tradition that goes back over 60 years.

Families and friends are now gearing up for more St. Patrick’s Day festivities around the city, including the South Side Irish Parade and the Northwest Side Irish Parade.

“I got sunglasses. I got candy and I got this drink holder, and I got lollipops and Reese’s,” a young paradegoer said.