Metro Detroiters come together for annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Corktown
Detroit's Corktown welcomed more than 80,000 people for the 67th annual St. Patrick's Parade Sunday afternoon.
Before the parade, runners for the Corktown races had the luck of the Irish on their side with only partly cloudy skies and sunshine. But even when the clouds set in, and the wind picked up spectators were in great spirits for the parade.
"It is a lot of fun down here. When the sun's out, a lot more fun," said Cindy Vario from Berkley, Michigan.
"This is our atmosphere. This is our happy place," said Pamela Addy from Clinton Township.
"The weather doesn't affect whether we come or not, it affects how we dress," said Patrick McGlinchey, who had been going to the parade for 50 years.
This year, six divisions of marchers with up to 32 groups each walked down Michigan Avenue.
Among the groups being honored in the parade are police officers with Plymouth Township.
"These three gentlemen, one officer couldn't make it today, but these gentlemen are heroes. They went into a burning house. They saved those two senior citizens. And again, I couldn't be more proud," said Police Chief James Knittel.
The parade brought a big boost to local businesses in the neighborhood. The growth and change of the St. Patrick's Parade reflect how far the city has come.
"The restaurants and bar owners and all those places and the Irish clubs get two days of revenue. Without the parade, they take a terrible financial hit," said Mike Kelly, co-chairman of Detroit St. Patrick's Parade.
