Marchers fill the street for the 2022 St. Patrick's Day Parade in St. Paul. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - From the first steps of getting the St Patrick’s Day parade moving to the overflowing sea of green, people were eager to once again line the streets of St Paul.
"All you have to do is look around," says Tim Bird, former Mr. Pat "It’s great for St Paul, it's great to be Irish. Just great to be out and about with everybody."
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Twin Cities mark St. Patrick's Day 2022
The St. Patrick's Day celebration in St. Paul was in full gear on Thursday as Minnesota marked the celebration of everything Irish.
Bird’s father helped organize St Paul’s first St Patrick’s Day parade back in 1967. He and countless others have waited for the entire pandemic for this chance to once again take over the streets.
"Candy! We love the candy!" screams a group of kids.
St. Paul's St Patrick Association organizers reversed the route this year, from Rice Park to Mears Park. For the first time, a so-called "Ballpark Hooley at CHS field doubled as a fundraiser to help with the roughly $25,000 it costs to make annual parades possible, plus giving to local charities.
"We are all volunteers," says association president, Katie Martin. "We’ve got full-time jobs, so we are raising money all year round. Last year was obviously a bit of a hit. So the Hooley event is a fundraiser to help us get back into the black."
In the midst of the live music, and Irish dancing we found Patrick Flynn celebrating his 82nd birthday surrounded by his family. "We are Irish Catholic too, so we multiplied," says Flynn. " I’ve never been to a bad parade."
Irish roots or not, many agree this tradition is more appreciated than ever.
"St. Paul is one of the greatest places to come on down and have fun today," says Rick Diaz.