A little rain — or even a lot — couldn’t put a damper on tradition
Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade drew crowds and kicked off in fine form Saturday morning, despite cloudy skies and wet streets. Umbrellas and tents lined the sidewalks, guarding hundreds of merry-makers — all clad in green — from the rain that fell throughout the morning.
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Even before the parade officially started Downtown at 10 a.m., the sound of vuvuzelas trumpeted down Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies. Screams, cheers and bagpipes joined in the raucous cacophony.
As Post-Gazette said, Some paradegoers dressed in kilts and suspenders, while others donned fake green beards or dyed their hair green. Vendors selling all sorts of green-themed items — scarves, hats, beads — roamed the parade route.
Floats carrying Irish dancers, who stayed balanced despite the rain and moving vehicles, drove down the route to cheers from University of Pittsburgh students, who used the opportunity to yell “Let’s go Pitt!”
There was even a wee bit of drinking. Some brought flasks with them, others made do with Jell-O shots in plastic cups, while many stuck to coffee as temperatures remained chilly in the upper 40s.
Bishop David Zubik greeted spectators during the parade, protected under an umbrella.
“Glad you’re under a tent,” he said to one group, dry on a Grant Street sidewalk.
Paradegoers took different measures to stay out of the rain. Several took shelter in a parking garage on Smithfield Street and the Boulevard of the Allies, coloring the rows with green. Others ducked into open buildings or coffee shops when the weather proved to be a little too much.
But for most, St. Patrick’s Day is more than just a day; it’s a custom that doesn’t bend to bad weather.
For the Gardner family, the parade symbolizes more than 50 years of family tradition. Each year, siblings Tim and Kathy Gardner arrive at 5 a.m. to set up tents and grills along Grant Street. As the family has grown, so has the number of tents.
Hot dogs and hamburgers sizzled in their tent, as family members ranging in generations filed in and out. The Gardners, spread throughout the Pittsburgh including Mount Oliver and South Side, have come every year no matter the weather. In 2001, Tim got married on St. Patrick's Day — but only after the parade.
“I mean, I made it to the church,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”
It’s important the family get together at this time each year because traditions can easily disappear, said Kathy.
The Funk family never misses the parade, although members save the food for an after-party filled with traditional Irish fare. They have set up a tent at the same spot on the corner of Grant Street and the Boulevard for seven years.
“It’s tradition,” said Lynda Funk of Trafford, shrugging off the weather.
She enjoyed the boisterous crowds and the fact that everyone arrives in a good mood, ready to “have a blast.”
For Kayla Casavant, a freshman at Duquesne University, the parade was a different kind of custom. Ms. Casavant is from Boston — a city with a large Irish population — and expected Pittsburgh’s parade to be tamer.
She found Pittsburgh paradegoers to be “more excited” than the ones in Boston.
Pittsburgh police reported a fight broke out in Market Square involving five men. Two were injured but refused medical treatment, and four summary citations were issued. Police also reported a few minor problems during the parade, mostly consisting of medical issues.
According to parade organizer Jan Griffith, more than 20,000 participants marched in the parade, which concluded at the end of the Boulevard of the Allies at 1 p.m.
