Father, Son Look Forward To Building Cavan Society's St. Patrick's Day Parade Float Every Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Sunday, the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day parade returns for the 250th edition. CBS3's morning team will host the big event.
From amazing dancers to great Irish music, it's going to be a lot of fun. And Eyewitness News got a preview of one of the floats you're going to see.
The Cavan Society was started back in 1907 and has had a float in the parade for more than two decades, but the group's float wouldn't be possible without the help of a father-son duo.
"There's a picture of every float we did since the beginning in 1996," Tom Smith said.
For Tom and Sean Smith, the Cavan Society's St. Patrick's Day Parade float is part of their yearly to-do list.
"It was always built here," Tom Smith said. "It's just natural to do it anymore."
Tom Smith's father and uncles started Cavan Construction in Delaware County back in the 60s.
"All three of them came from the same town in Cavan and they were part of the Cavan Society," Tom Smith said. "It's been a group that's been around years and years and it was of all the people the immigrated to America from the county Cavan in Ireland and they formed a fraternal organization."
For the 250th edition of the parade, the Smiths are honoring longtime Cavan group members.
"The faith, family, friendship, heritage… we really just kind of wanted to do something that celebrated everyone throughout the years that kind of built these floats with us," Sean Smith said.
In honor of that, they are replicating a Philadelphia Trolley.
But the journey to get here hasn't been so lucky.
Back in 2020, the group had to break down their finished float after the parade was paused due to the pandemic.
"It was done, ready to go in the parade that weekend," Tom Smith said. "We tore it down and threw it in the trash can."
They are re-building the float from memory.
"We don't have any plans, we don't have any drawings, all we have are these photos and we kind of just look at it and say, 'OK, I kind of remember how tall this was, or how wide this was.' We have a couple more things that are being added on," Sean Smith said.
With time working on weekends and a team of volunteers, the float is almost complete.
It's decorated in green and gold and ready to shine as it makes its way down Market Street.
"It's definitely something special, something that we've always held onto," Sean Smith said. "Something to call your own as a group."
You can watch the 250th Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day parade on our sister station, The CW Philly. The Eyewitness News morning team will be broadcasting the event starting at noon this Sunday.
It will also stream on CBS News Philly and then re-broadcast again right on CBS3 on St. Patrick's Day.
