Click here to subscribe today or Login.
SCRANTON — For the 58th year, thousands of attendees flocked to downtown Scranton on Saturday to partake in a bit o’ Irish fun — and the weather was just about perfect.
Billed as the second-largest parade of its kind in the country (as measured by participants per population), the day includes a formal morning Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral and the annual 2-mile Brian P. Kelly Memorial Race.
Parade-goers lining the streets in their finest green-hued clothes were met with clear skies and temperatures well into the 40s.
Grand marshal William “Buddy” Cosgrove, who has not missed one parade day, helped kick off the event with St. Patrick’s Parade Day Association president Timothy Lynady.
More than 100 business, organizations, media outlets, schools and more participated in the march, with some groups opting to use the route as a way to bring attention to their business through some unique floats.
One of those businesses was the newly opened Electric City Aquarium. Officially opening their doors just a few months ago inside the Marketplace At Steamtown, aquarium owner Cliff Grosvenor said the float took over a week to prepare.
“We did this in 10 days,” he said of the underwater scene that encapsulated two real-life mermaids within a fish tank.”We’re new to town. We wanted to put ourselves out there.”
The float quickly became a fan favorite among children as it played the catchy “Baby Shark” song among others.
Grosvenor said that although he had never attended the parade previously, he was prepared for anything.
“I hear it gets wild, let’s put it that way,” he said said with a chuckle.
In search of prime parade-viewing spots, Scranton residents John Olek and Amanda Vanbuskirk were eager to see the aquarium’s float pass by.
Clad in shimmering green vests and leprechaun hats, Olek declared he hasn’t attended the event since childhood, but decided to try it again.
“I came here once before when I was young. But year after year, it’s so hard to find a spot to park, so me and my parents just gave up on coming,” he explained.
After completing his run for the Brian P. Kelly Memorial Race, Stephen Prokop decided to stick around for the rest of the day’s festivities. A parade regular and second-time racer, the Glen Lyon resident believes the day is beneficial for several reasons.
“I’ve been going to the parade since Hillary Clinton was there. And this year, I believe it was the most crowded, and well-behaved, crowd I’ve seen there,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing. It brings some positive feedback to (the city).”
