Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade means celebration and family tradition in South Boston
SOUTH BOSTON - From the bagpipes to the marching bands, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston got underway Sunday with beautiful weather, incredible enthusiasm, colorful characters and lots of excitement.
It was a sea of green down Broadway as the parade kicked off Sunday afternoon. The 3.8 mile parade route brought in people from all around the world, lining up several rows deep with many proudly waving the flag of Ireland. Annmarie Buliouch, who is from Scotland, said the celebration is a lot different here in Boston.
"The parades, we don't have them," said Buliouch. "We have the pubs but we don't have the parades. This is our last day in America, fantastic."
For many families, the parade is a tradition. Mike Allen roped off an area for his entire family.
"I'm 64 years old, I've been doing this forever," said Allen.
March 17 also marks Evacuation Day, which recognizes the day the British troops left Boston early in the Revolutionary War.
"The story of Irish-American immigrants in Boston really is the story of every wave of immigration and the American dream," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. "It's also Evacuation Day, a recognition of the history that this community played in the American Revolution."
Earlier Sunday, the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast took place in South Boston, hosted by State Sen. Nick Collins. It featured speeches from lawmakers like Wu and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. There was also a skit featuring Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and former Gov. Jane Swift that paid homage to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Super Bowl commercial for Dunkin.