'That's the best part': A family tradition at Beverly's County Fair celebrates St. Patrick's Day
CHICAGO (CBS) -- What's missing on this list for St. Patrick's Day: green beer, Irish dancers and cabbage?
Corned beef, of course! CBS 2's Noel Brennan takes us to Beverly where everyone is excited, except for maybe the cows.
Like seasoning on a brisket, tradition coats everything at County Fair.
"My dad started County Fair 59 years ago and I know that because I was one year-old when he opened up the store."
Tom Baffes now runs the grocery store in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood where St. Patrick's Day is a big deal. But on Sunday, the store will be closed.
"Nobody can get here because of the parade," Baffes said.
Every year, the South Side Irish Parade shuts down Western right in front of the store. But County Fair found a way to make up for lost business: beef.
"This is my dad's idea. He came up with probably 30 years ago. It's the bulk-style corned beef which we sell at $8.98 a pound," Baffes said.
"We cut it for five pounds, three pounds or you can take the whole brisket, 10 pounds," Baffes said.
They buy it in bulk – and hope it's enough, because tradition must carry on.
"Typically we do, we like to say ten tons, which is 20,000 pounds of corned beef in about a six-day period," Baffes said.
In Beverly – nothing says St. Patrick's Day quite like a parade, except pounds of beef.
"That's the best part. Home of the bulk-style corned beef," said one customer.
CBS 2 has you covered for the turning of the Chicago River green. Tune into CBS News Chicago, our digital streaming network at 10:00 a.m. Saturday for live coverage of this Chicago tradition.