New Haven St. Patrick's Day parade thrills thousands in downtown
New Haven saw a sea of green Sunday as thousands came to watch the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown.
As the sound of bagpipes filled the air in downtown New Haven, many were watching the more than 100 groups marching in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
“They march good. They party good. It’s a good parade for New Haven,” Lena Cummings of New Haven said.
The parade was expected to draw around 100,000 people to downtown New Haven with many of them lined up on Chapel Street and around the New Haven Green. The parade featured celebrations of Irish history and heritage and even the famous New Haven style pizza where a truck passed out slices from Modern Apizza.
“Only in New Haven are you going to get a slice of pizza at an Irish parade,” Siobhan Robinson of New Haven said.
People who came and watched say they were thrilled about sharing Irish culture with the greater New Haven community.
“It’s a cultural pot. There’re all different religions here, so I’m mixed myself, but it’s good to have the Irish stand out and serve a place here in New Haven,” Robinson said.
But the party didn’t end once the parade ended, as people went to Irish bars like Trinity where some got in touch with their roots.
“Talking to all the people who worked at the bar, I met someone who was from the same county, we’re from the same county, like we’re from the same families,” Katie Coyle of New Haven said.
With so many celebrating downtown, New Haven police were out in full force with patrols and roadblocks to keep everyone safe. Police say most of the department was working in the parade in light of recent events in Michigan for example. As an additional measure of safety, the city of New Haven required bars starting at 6 p.m. to close their doors for an hour to help with crowd dispersal.
Ultimately, people felt the love of the Irish in the Elm City.
“It is really nice to talk to people and also understand where they came from and have that connection,” Coyle said.
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