ST. PATRICK'S IN PHILA

I avoided all the controversy swirling around the New York and Boston parades by attending the one in Philadelphia.  This is rather more of a local affair, and nowhere near as flashy as it's cousins up the coast.  They march up the avenue from City Hall to the Art Museum; from Billy Penn to Rocky, as it were.

There were all the obligatory entrants, beginning with many groups of Irish dancers in all manner of costumes, some of which were exceedingly cute..

 

And of course, not all the dancers were kids, and not all had to walk the parade route.

 

Much of the music also came by float (or in the bed of a pickp).

But there were some marching bands as well.

And one true highland group of pipes and drums.

Speaking of floats, there were not that many, and some were rather simple.

A couple touted Irish contributions.

 

 

And of course the parade sponsor had one.

 

Plus there were a few decorated cars, again with variation in complexity.

This last was one of only a few organizations with causes.  There was this group displaying the names from Philadelphia's Vietnam Veterans' Memorial

And this one honoring a WWII vet.

 

 

But I only saw one rainbow, and that wasn't overt.

 

 

What there were a lot of were pretty queens

 

 

And folks dressed up as the Bishop of Ireland.

 

 

And interesting people wherever you looked.

 

 

Of course, there were color guards.

 

And this outfit, which let off a deafening volley as a salute every hundred paces or so.

Buuuut, this being Phila, after all, we also were treated to some hip-hop cheerleaders.

 

 

And, naturally, a group of Mummers.

Aaaaaand, how did we know the parade was over . . .

Whereupon the bars promptly filled with thirsty (and very cold) patrons.  A fun day, all in all.