St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are going on all across New Orleans.
For some, it’s a chance to party, including members of an Irish-themed krewe.
“We like to throw a party, plain and simple,” said Alex Kavanaugh, a member of the Irish Rogue. “If you don’t like to have fun, don’t bother showing up.”
Kavanaugh and his band of merrymakers started their day by providing music for the block party at Parasol’s. Later, they’ll march in the Downtown Irish Club’s parade. For Kavanaugh, the best part of St. Patrick’s Day comes when he looks into the crowd during the parade.
“I’ve been marching for more than 30 years now, and you see the joy in people’s faces,” Kavanaugh said. “You see the elderly and how much they remember it. You see the kids and how much they enjoy it. You see that and know that you’re making people happy and kinda forget about the world.”
For others, St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to take in another side of Crescent City culture.
“This is my first time here,” Emile Honoré said. “I’ve been trying, but I finally made it.”
Honoré is a lifelong resident of New Orleans. He says even though he’s a native, this is his first St. Patrick’s Day block party.
“I had nothing else to do to hold me back,” Honoré said “I got my two friends to come along.”
So, what kept him from celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for so long?
“I had an ex-wife who didn’t believe in partying,” Honoré said with a laugh.
Celebrations in the Irish Channel continue until 11:00 tonight.
Meanwhile, the Downtown Irish Club’s evening parade through the Marigny… French Quarter… and CBD ends with a block party at the Ugly Dog Saloon.
Chris Agan is taking in the Irish Channel block parties with friends from the Napa Valley. They started their day with Bloody Marys, Irish whiskey, and green-colored beer.
“It’s St. Patrick’s Day! You gotta start early!” Agan said. “You can’t say you’ve been drinking all day unless you start in the morning.”
Agan says he and his friends are taking in everything a New Orleans St. Patrick’s Day has to offer.
“We’ll be hanging out here for a while, and then we’ll be going downtown for the parade later on,” Agan said “We’ll be going hard all day.”
Celebrations in the Irish Channel continue until 11 p.m. Meanwhile, the Downtown Irish Club’s evening parade begins at 7 p.m. and rolls through the Marigny, the French Quarter, and the Central Business District before ending with a block party at the Ugly Dog Saloon at the corner of Tchoupitoulas Street and Andrew Higgins Boulevard.
