Mike Bradley Feels Honored To Serve As Grand Marshal In Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day Parade
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After a two-year pause, the countdown is underway for Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day parade this Sunday. It's a one-day event that takes year-round planning.
CBS3 had the opportunity to sit down with this year's Grand Marshal, Mike Bradley. This year Bradley will be seeing things from a whole new perspective.
Even before Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day parade kicks off on television, there's a lot going on behind the scenes.
"Well I start the parade," Bradley said. "I get it started and then the police give me a ride down to the reviewing stand where the television cameras will be and just make sure everything is OK down there."
On parade day, Bradley is sort of like an air traffic controller or a traffic cop. He's been the guy that kept the parade moving.
"I've been involved for almost 30 years, but I've been running it for 22 years as the parade director," Bradley said. "The interesting thing is I've never walked the parade route. I've never been in the parade."
Not only is Bradley walking in the parade this year, but he's also serving as Grand Marshal.
"It's a huge honor, I cried when they named me, it's big, it really is," he said.
Bradley's family has been involved in the parade for decades. His dad marched with the Shanahan Catholic Club in 1956.
Bradley said he isn't one for accolades, but serving as the Grand Marshal means a lot to him.
"I agreed to do it because my parents were still alive and thought to me that would be special for them," he said.
It's special because while over the years Bradley has known city leaders on a first-name basis, it's his family that always comes first.
In fact, Bradley's son, Colin, has taken over as parade director.
"It's exciting to follow in his footsteps," Colin said. "They are certainly large shoes to fill, but it's been such an important part of our life for so long that I wouldn't really imagine it to be any other way. So hopefully he'll be able to go out and just enjoy the day for the first time in his whole life."
Bradley will certainly have plenty of company along the way.
"Because this is our 250th parade this is really special," Bradley said. "I invited all the previous grand marshals and their families to come march with me, so we can share it with everybody because it's not about me, it's about all of us."
You can watch the 250th edition of the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day parade on our sister station, The CW Philly, this Sunday, March 13 beginning at noon. The parade will also stream on CBS News Philly and then re-broadcast again on CBS3 on St. Patrick's Day.
