Detroit community gathers for annual St. Patrick's Day parade
The cold weather didn’t stop hundreds from gathering on Michigan Avenue in Corktown for the Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday afternoon.
The United Irish Societies (UIS), composed of Irish organizations in the Metro Detroit area, funds and hosts the parade featuring marching bands, floats, color guards, and more. The 65th annual parade stepped off at 1 p.m. near Sixth and Michigan and concluded near 14th Street.
Lynn Popa, a member of the Celtic Pipes & Drums of Michigan, said the organization has been around for nearly 50 years. They have close to 30 members and often perform at parades and golf course tournaments.
Popa said she loves participating in the parades but wishes for warmer weather.
“I’m just a nut for parades in the first place… I wish the weather were nicer,” she said. “It’s kind of disappointing that it’s been cold and nasty the past couple of years.”
For those marching in the parade, some were loyal returners, while others were newcomers and first-timers.
For the Willow Run Rosie the Riveter Lunchbox Drill Team, the St. Patrick’s Parade is a long-standing tradition, with the organization participating for its second decade.
According to Cheryl Blau, the group is dedicated to representing the Rosie’s in a positive way.
“We represent all of the woman who stepped up and took over the roles that were typically men’s roles and went to work in the factories to build the bombers and the tanks and the ammunition and all of the other things that were needed in order for us to continue to fight and subsequently win World War II,” she said.
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They are also dedicated to historical preservation, as the women in Detroit working at the Willow Run factory during World War II set a positive example.
“They didn’t know it necessarily at the time but they paved the way for the rest of us, for all of these future generations to step into the workforce as well,” Blau said.
For others, such as the Ladies’ Oriental Shrine of North America, the experience was a first.
According to John Young, a member of the group, they typically dress as clowns and participate in a variety of parades and circuses to support Shriners Hospitals. He said he most enjoys putting smiles on other people’s faces.
“I think it’s seeing the people’s faces when you make them happy, that’s a lot of fun. The kids, you always have a good time when you see the kids and can make them smile.”
The Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the largest in the country, attracting up to 100,000 visitors annually. The parade lasted approximately two hours and concluded in Corktown.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit community gathers for annual St. Patrick's Day Parade
