The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade never fails to attract attention no matter what the weather. This year, on its 70th anniversary, it was no different. Despite a biting wind and temperatures in the low 30s for most of the day, tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of people wrapped themselves in blankets, comforters and down-filled parkas to watch the yearly spectacle.
Kathryn Manley bundled up with Alyssa Collett and Hayden Goyette on Northampton Street near the Holyoke Plaza jumping-off point for marchers. They watched as each contingent started the 2.65-mile parade route.
Heavy sweaters, parkas and blankets shared among the three kept them comfortable, they agreed. And the closer to the plaza the better, Goyette said.
“Yeah, we like to get here early and stake out a spot. Easy in and hopefully, easy out,” he said.
“It’s great to see all the people you know from West Springfield coming through,” Manley, a West Springfield resident, said.
Collette said she likes to see the West Springfield Colleens and their float come by, while Goyette said he enjoys the live performance of a marching band.
Much of Northampton Street was crowded with people lining the parade route and sharing enough tailgate partying to shame Gillette Stadium before a playoff game. On the lawn at 2157 Northampton St., tables loaded with corned beef sliders and plenty of cabbage as well as a formal corned beef and cabbage dinner— lest anyone forget what day they were celebrating — and a wide variety of spirits, ales and beers.
Mariah Bishop prepares the party essentials along with her sister Megan Brown, the homeowner. Bishop said Brown’s house is perfect for the party — It’s right on the parade route.
Just up the street at the intersection of Northampton and Lawler streets, Richard Bourbeau had 30 or 40 people on his lawn, as 60 pounds of corned beef simmered in a large pot and a full bar offered hospitality to his guests who sat out under propane-fueled heaters. He said he has held St. Patrick’s Day parties at his house for the past 12 years or so. Pointing to a full travel trailer parked on his lawn, Bourbeau said it was the perfect addition to the party.
“I started bringing this in last year, people get to warm up if they need to and we have our bathrooms right here,” he said.
The one glitch in the matrix this year was missing cabbage.
“We started cooking early before the cabbage got here,” he admitted. “We are halfway there.”
Across the street, Alan Papageorge and Emily Ciccolo, of Westfield, climbed up on a tall stone cemetery wall they thought gave them the best vantage point to view the parade.
The 70th Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade
“No one can get in front of us,” Papageorge said.
All the better to see his favorite part of the parade.
“Trucks,” he said. “The trucks ... and the floats with all the cool setups.”
Further along Northampton Street, Kathryn Dugan from Huntington — known by everyone as Kay, she said — took pictures with her friends on the sidewalk in front of Blessed Sacrament Church, a place she said she has found herself on parade day for at least the past 35 years.
“We stand in front of the church same as every year, and we have our banner and we have our photographer to take pictures,” Dugan said.
This year, one of the group is retiring, Dugan said. Besides, it’s close to springtime, and that, too, is something to celebrate.
“We all bundle up. You never know what you are going to get. Sometimes it’s cold and sometimes it’s not. It’s just getting all the people together, people who we may not have seen for the past year. They come because they know we are going to be here,” she said. “This is like an institution. We are here and they come.”
Nicholas Piedra and his mom Brenda wore matching green wigs as they found a quiet stretch of Beech Street to wait out the coming parade. The Chicopee family comes frequently to the parade; they are just across the river, after all.
Nicholas said he enjoys the general atmosphere of the parade, not one specific thing.
“It’s really all the odd and fun stuff,” he said.
Further on, where the parade route takes a sharp left turn from Beech Street onto Appleton, Juan Amdujar blasted Latin music as he and his family and friends celebrated St. Patrick’s Day their own way.
“We have done it for like five years,” he said. “We barbecue and have the music and we all have fun. It’s like a tradition.”
And what is Juan’s favorite part of the parade?
“The little cars,” he said, meaning the Shriners’ motorized vehicle contingent.
The Shriners did not disappoint Juan this year. If it can be miniaturized and a gasoline engine mounted, the Shriners have it as part of their parade routine, from mini-choppers to tractor-trailer rigs the size of mom’s minivan, and tricycle motorbikes that can pop miles-long wheelies, ATVs and even a tiny Peter Pan Bus all joined the Shriners’ traditional go-carts and mini-bikes on the streets of Holyoke.
Long before the first contingent of the parade made it to Appleton Street, Ruth Garcia sat alone. She was holding a place for her family who would arrive later.
“I’m going to be here with my kids and our friends. I’m picking out the best spot,” she laughed.
Garcia said she comes to the parade every year, no matter the weather.
“I enjoy it very much,” she said. “I know it’s cold today, but you know, we have to enjoy the day. I like to see everybody outside and all the colors. Everyone is happy. There are very good vibes.”
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