How to Enjoy a St Patrick's Day Parade

St. Patrick's Day, March 17, is the day that everyone is Irish, no matter your background. It's a day of celebration, of green beer and corned beef sandwiches and of parades. The largest of these are located in Boston, New York City, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland—cities with a large population of Irish descent.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Arrive Early. To get the best place to view the parade, plan on arriving well in advance of step-off. This is especially important if you have small children that won't be able to see over adults in the front.
2. Dress warmly. Most St. Patrick's Day parades take place in cities in the Midwest or Northeast, where mid-March weather can be fickle, at best. Make sure to wear a heavy coat. Gloves and a hat are a good idea also.
3. Wear Green. Green is the traditional color for St. Patrick's Day. Make sure that you include a little Kelly Green in your attire. If you really want to stand out, wear a green plastic top hat or a headband with dangling shamrocks. There's sure to be a vendor near the parade route.
4. Listen to the bands. Enjoy the Irish music played by the bagpipes and other marching bands as they pass by.
5. Wave to the marchers. The larger parades have hundreds of marchers. If you live in town, it's unusual not to see someone you know. If you don't know anyone, wave anyway. Everyone is friendly on St. Patrick's Day.
   
   
6. Marvel at the floats. Watch the colorful floats as the pass by amidst the bands and the marchers. Many will be manned by organizations, politicians or beauty queens.