Cheery Irish tunes sliced through the brisk Sunday morning as some 400,000 people took to the streets to celebrate Irish culture’s most significant day.
For the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade – a tradition of merrymaking that has held strong for 66 years — the 2.65-mile route was awash with green.
Lilyanna Matis of South Hadley always watches the musicians, dancers and festive floats move along the streets from inside her grandfather’s warm fire truck.
“We get to see everyone we know, out there, freezing their butts off,” joked Bob Davis of South Hadley Fire District 1.
But the cold couldn’t kill the spirit of the young girl scouts from Southampton and Easthampton’s Troop 12960.
“I have a lot of energy and I’m excited to march in a big city,” said Katie Hinkle, 10, of Easthampton.
The outing was a first for the troop, which collectively decided to “go big this year,” according to troop leader Heather Brophy.
For Kelley Rathman of Holyoke, the parade is all about gathering as a community.
“We all become one big happy family,” she said.
Sarah Crosby can be reached at scrosby@gazettenet.com.