St. Patrick’s Day parade preview

No matter your background, St. Patrick’s Day is a day for everyone to come together and celebrate Irish heritage. What better way to celebrate than to be a part of the Cleveland St. Patrick’s day parade?

St. Patrick’s Day started off as a religious feast day in Ireland and has since become an international festival that celebrates Irish heritage. The city of Cleveland began to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in 1867 and it is one of the largest events in Cleveland and in Ohio.

This year marks the 149th parade with the theme of “Commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising and Ireland’s Quest for Freedom;” this year is the 100th anniversary of Easter Rising which led to Irish independence.

Linda Carney, the deputy director of the United Irish Societies of Greater Cleveland, believes that St. Patrick’s day is a great day for the Irish people to pay tribute to their heritage.

“[We] are able to create an environment that pays homage to the Irish ancestry and allow for the Irish community to come together and celebrate this special day,” Carney said.

The parade will include a variety of floats, which may include places, people and events that have occurred during the time being remembered in the parade.

Many Irish restaurants will begin serving food as early as 6 a.m. Slyman’s Restaurant, located on St. Claire Ave., is one of many who serve traditional corned beef meals starting in the morning and continuing throughout the rest of the day.

The parade also recognizes those in the Irish community who have helped advance the Irish influence and honors these individuals. The two most famous honoree awards are the Grand Marshal, a man who is chosen to preside over the parade due the man’s contributions to the Irish society in Cleveland, and the Mother of the Year award, given to a woman who sets an example that is a source of inspiration for the community.

The parade will feature more than 130 entertaining performances including high school and college marching bands, Irish social organizations, pom-pom units, Fire and Drum teams, and variety of others.

On top of the different types of floats and units, the United States Navy Band will be coming to perform for the first time.

The United Irish Societies of Greater Cleveland puts together the parade and strives to make sure that every detail is perfect for the event.

This year St. Patrick’s Day parade will begin at 1:04 p.m. and will start on East 18th and Superior Ave. in Downtown Cleveland.