CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A festive St. Patrick's Day weekend continued all across Chicago on Sunday, despite chilly temperatures that briefly gave way to snow.
Mary Kate Barron was the 46th annual South Side Irish Parade queen.
“It’s so fun, I mean there’s really nothing better than being Irish on South Side on St. Patrick’s Day,” she said. “I have friends coming in from out of town, and I have friends experiencing the South Side parade for the first time. It’s for everyone.”
Tens of thousands of people attended Sunday’s South Side parade, which went from 103rd Street and Western Avenue down to 115th Street.
Marianne Rowan Leslie, the South Side Irish Parade Chair, said this parade is a bit different than the downtown parade.
“This is very family focused, very family friendly,” she said. “‘Faith, family, tradition’ is kind of our motto, and that’s what we want. We want people to come out and feel welcome to come here.”
The parade is not just for fun; it’s also a huge economic party for the area, with a lot of corned beef and cabbage, beer and much more being sold.
Thousands of people also gathered Sunday near West Raven Street and North Normandy Avenue for the 21st annual Northwest Side Irish Parade.
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