Detroit celebrates St. Patrick's Day with annual parade, Irish festivites in Corktown
Irish or not, thousands of people turned out to Corktown in green garb and shamrocks to celebrate the Irish tradition for Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade.
For the 67th year, the parade proceeded through Detroit's historically-Irish Corktown neighborhood for two hours. Dance troops, dogs with green fur, Irish clans, bagpipers, dancing inflatable shamrocks and politicians — including gubernatorial hopefuls Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson — waved to the crowd.
More than 35 different Irish organizations carried their green, white and orange flags to celebrate the holiday. Even the weather felt a little Irish, with slightly cold temperatures, windy gusts and gray skies threatening — though never delivering — rain showers.
The procession began on Sixth Street, coasting down Michigan Avenue in front of several Irish pubs and The Corner Ballpark, before passing a reviewing stand at Michigan and 14th Street, where it ended near the Mercury Bar.
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Shelli Guay of Ferndale and her family stood on the brick pavers of Michigan Avenue, jigging all afternoon as Detroit's St. Patrick's Day Parade marched through Corktown.
Guay, who enjoyed the parade by dancing with her son, Sage, said this wasn't her first St. Patrick's Day Parade, and it certainly wouldn't be her last.
"I think just the spirit of it and the whole heritage of the Irish people — the music, the dancing and all the people together — is really beautiful," Guay said.
And Guay, who said she is "just about 2% Irish," embraced St. Patrick's Day as a festival for everyone — Irish or not.
The parade was hosted by metro Detroit's United Irish Societies, who have been organizing the procession since 1958. Joan O'Halloran, a Detroiter and former owner of the Tipperary Pub, served as this year's grand marshal, leading the show with her family behind a vintage, mint-green Cadillac.
St. Patrick's Day is officially Monday, but the holiday celebration kicked off at the parade and continued long after it was over.
Around 2 p.m., Detroit police officers cruised down Michigan Avenue at the caboose of the procession, announcing through loudspeakers that the parade was over. The street went vacant, but a green, glittering crowd packed into bars like the Corktown Tavern and McShane's Irish Pub to keep the party going through the evening.
Contact Liam Rappleye: LRappleye@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit St. Patrick's Day Parade attracts thousands for Irish party
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