PARK SLOPE, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- It’s the oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Park Slope is marking half a century and what a celebration it was this year.
Nobody does a St. Patrick’s Day parade like the Brooklyn Irish in Park Slope.
This is the 50th anniversary of this super local, community-based parade. There were marching bands from some of the local schools including Saint Saviour’s High School in Park Slope,
Step dancers from the O’Donnell Academy in Greenpoint and since this PIX11 reporter was born in Park Slope, why not march with these ladies of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, where marcher Kathy Doherty welcomed me aboard.
“All are welcome here at this parade,” Doherty told PIX11 News.
This parade was started back in 1975. The route starts and ends at Bartel-Pritchard Square at Prospect Park West and 15th Street. And then there’s the sold-out, standing-room-only after-parade party at Holy Name Church.
This year’s vice chair Mary Hogan has been part of these festivities almost from the beginning.
“It’s a great way for us to highlight the Irish and what they have given to New York City,” Hogan told PIX11 News.
Some of the thousands lining the parade route have been coming here their whole lives.
“This is local and this is Brooklyn,” Connor Lorenza told PIX11 News.
“I have three Shamrock suits and I wore the best one today because Brooklyn is the best,” a man calling himself the best-dressed man in the Rockaways told PIX11 News.
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