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Scranton enjoys good craic with St. Patrick's Day Parade

SCRANTON — The smell of falafel mingled with the sounds of bag pipes, cheers, honking horns and noisemakers, and those who missed the 64th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Scranton are sure to feel green with envy. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and Bazooka Candy made their first appearances in the parade, as did Dunmore native and Defensive Coordinator of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Vic Fangio. The South Philadelphia String Band, winners of a 'best string band' accolade at the Mummer's Parade, also marched along Scranton's parade path. In addition, 130 entries, including 10 bagpipe bands, five high school bands, three miscellaneous bands, Irish step dancing groups, twirlers, cheerleaders and more rounded out the day's parade walkers. Ray Lynady, of Clarks Summit — the president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna county and the executive director of the parade — sported a striking sash that pronounced him the 'parade marshal.' He said they start planning the festival in December of the previous year, and 'every type of committee you can think of' helps put the event together, including a bagpipe committee, a finance committee and even a port-a-potty committee. * The Irem Shriners march in the annual St. Patrick's Parade in Scranton on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) * Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, a Dunmore native, walks in the annual St. Patrick's Parade in Scranton on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) * The Society of Irish Women participate in the annual St. Patrick's Parade in Scranton on Saturday.(STAFF PHOTO) * The Irem Shriners march in the annual St. Patrick's Parade in Scranton on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) * A bagpiper plays along Wyoming avenue during the annual St. Patrick's Parade in downtown Scranton on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) * Bagpipers kick of the annual St. Patrick's Parade on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton on Saturday morning. (STAFF PHOTO) * Ther Oscar Mayer Wienermobile rolls down Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton during the St. Patrick's Parade on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 7 The Irem Shriners march in the annual St. Patrick's Parade in Scranton on Saturday. (STAFF PHOTO) Expand He said over 10,000 participants were involved in the parade on Saturday, with thousands more lining each side of the street along the parade path in downtown Scranton, gathering in front of the courthouse with their own chairs in tow, and snagging a spot in the warm sunshine on the bleachers. Some of the participants even won awards for their efforts, like the Irish Music award, and the Irish Smiles award. A semi-truck towing a band playing on a staged platform slowly crawled past. Children sat in a green wagon, pulled by an adult. Articles of clothing in all shades of green stood out among parade patrons, who held cellphones up and out to memorialize the festive scene. Tyler Connor, 23, of West Scranton, the owner of DaVinci On The Square Pizza and Italian Eatery, dyed his restaurant's garlic knots green to celebrate. Jason Dellinger, who stood beside a stand covered from top to bottom with novelty items — green hats, squawking trumpets, and stuffed dolls — said his family travels from York to Scranton for the St. Patrick's Day Parade every year to sell the toys since before he was born, 'for at least 45 years.' He said his father inherited the business, Dellinger Concessions, from his father. 'We sell St. Patrick's items, noise makers, all kinds of goodies for people to enjoy the parade,' Dellinger said, adding that 'stadium horns' were big sellers, and that the items range from $10 to $20 per piece. Megan Fenwick, a stay-at-home mom set up a make up tent on the corner of the square, providing festive facial accoutrements to passers by. She said she started her operation, Sweet Cheeks, in October of 2024, and often attended events with the intention of bringing a little sparkle into people's lives. 'It's fun for everybody,' she said. Fenwick dusted a green shamrock arch across the eye of Alexis Duncan, 23, and a green and orange butterfly onto the cheek of her roommate, Caitlin Powell, 25, both Psychology students at Marywood University. The two, along with their additional roommate, Khushi Jariwala, who studies Sports Nutrition, said the festivities gave them a chance to have a little fun. 'I'm here to enjoy the parade,' said Duncan, adding she just moved to Scranton a couple months ago from Nebraska for school. The three students said they are in graduate programs and do not get much leisure time. 'There's a lot of school work going on,' said Powell, adding that one of their roommates, Emily Banfield, a Psychology major was missing, because she was required to participate in 'psychological testing' schoolwork. Parade director PJ Lahey said, of all the cities to watch a St. Patrick's Day parade, Scranton has a special edge. 'We are the oldest, the biggest, and the best,' said Lahey. 'This is the 64th annual parade of the current format, but Scranton has had St. Patrick's parades dating back to the 1800s.' According to a talk hosted by the Lackawanna Historical Society, entitled 'Lackawanna Past Times: Scranton's St. Patrick's Day Parade,' the area's St. Patrick's Day celebrations started as early as 1833. A notice in the Northern Pennsylvanian, dated Feb. 28, 1833, revealed that a group of Irish miners were looking to figure out how they would celebrate St. Patrick's Day. 'A decision was made to have a parade on March 2nd of that year,' said Jaime Hailstone, a past Scranton St. Patrick's Day Association President and the featured speaker in the 37-minute video, which was posted to the Lackawanna Historical Society's YouTube channel on Wednesday. The event took place 'somewhere in Carbondale,' Hailstone said, adding that the miners decided to celebrate on Saturday, since Sunday was reserved for attending mass. Nearly 200 years later, the festival brings in all kinds. A group of teenagers studying at the University of Scranton sported matching green shirts that said 'Scranton 2025,' save one, whose green shirt said, 'Kiss me it's my birthday.'' 'It's a special day for me because it's my birthday,' said Anna Kardos, a first year biochemistry major. Her and her friends, which included Kaitlyn McElduff, 18, a first year occupational therapy major, Mary McAlpin, 18, a theology major on a pre-medical school track, and Lindsay Carlucci, 18, of Long Island, New York. The shirts were a coordinated effort, produced by the University to raise funds for the Center for Service and Social Justice. The friends' foray out into the world to catch the parade 'was a group idea,' said McElduff, of Slate Hill, New York. The young women expressed excitement for their first visit to the Scranton's St. Patrick's Day parade. Highlights for the group included 'the bag pipers,' 'seeing everyone's cute St. Patrick's Day outfits,' 'a lot of cute dogs in little outfits,' and 'good music,' but they left the parade early to catch the 'ginger run.' 'It's when a bunch of red heads run,' explained McAlpin, of Philadelphia. 'It's a tradition, apparently.' One of the smartly dressed pups included Esther, the Morkie of Kim Kokinda, who was at the parade for the first time with her son, Thomas Kokinda, and her son's girlfriend, Kenna Bankes. Esther sported pink shades, but otherwise, the three were donned in St. Patrick's green. Jenny Mateo, of Scranton, and her two children, Carlos and Isaac, meandered casually along Linden Street. Though Mateo said she is Spanish, she said she likes the Irish community. 'It's a nice day, and it's nice to have something different to do,' she said. Her son was delighted by his parade keepsakes. 'I got a shark,' he said, adding, 'and a lot of candy.' Parade award winners: -St. Patrick's Theme Award – Azak 347 -Professional Performance – Kost tire 335 -Patriotic Theme – Tobyhanna Army Depot -Historical Theme – FDNY -Irish Cultural Heritage – Gloucester City Society Piper Drum -Most Beautiful Award – DPW -Irish Music Award – Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Band -Irish Costume Award – Steve Shannon -Irish Smiles Award – C.C. Young Insurance -Irish Dancing Award – Double R Twirletts -Participation Award – Penn York Highlanders 115 -Scholastic Award – Wyoming Warriors 417 -Founders' Award – AOH Ladies Lackawanna 303 -Photographers' Choice Award – South Philadelphia String Band 329 -Judges' Choice Award – Edwin P. Maloney Memorial Pipe Band 211 -Scholastic Music Award – West Scranton Invaders 227 -Parade Loyalty Award – Iron Valley Real Estate 345 -Presidents Award – Smurl HVAC