PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A sea of green waved through the streets of Philadelphia Sunday as thousands came out to celebrate the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The day kicked off with a mass at St. Patrick's Church on 20th and Locust Streets. Then, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., music played, bagpipes blasted and singers, dancers and participants marched their way from 16th and JFK to 5th and Market Streets in honor of the city’s 251st parade.
The parade has been a tradition in many people's lives, like Eilish Haley-Kidd, for years.
She said she’s been participating in it for nearly one-third of her life.
“I’ve been dancing since I was seven, I am 29-years-old.”
Haley-Kidd said the day may have been cold, but it always warms her heart to take part in the parade.
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“I like to see everyone get out there and have a really good time but I really like it because when you get older you have friends you make throughout the year and you get to see everybody and it’s just an annual good time.”
Josh Burke also braved the cold and spent his day marching in the streets. He enjoys seeing people come together in celebration.
“It’s a good time to come out, see all the different community things, support your friends, you meet people,” Burke said. “It’s a beautiful day. It’s just a great way to spend a Sunday.”
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And while bringing people together is the ultimate goal of the parade every year, the message was emphasized this year, with their theme being “St. Patrick, let there be peace.”
“We are calling to St. Patrick for peace in this world, peace in our city and neighborhoods,” said the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association.