CLEVELAND – You could call it the luck of the Irish.
St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday and the weather looks promising, meaning Cleveland is in for one big celebration.
And the one that’ll make history is the 145th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
“It’s a lot of color, a lot of flair,” said Patrick Murphy, executive director of the St. Patrick’s Day parade committee. “The best thing about having this parade on a weekend is it ends up being a big family event.”
Murphy said 16,000 people will march down Superior Avenue on Saturday, forming a sea of green stretching from East 18th to Public Square. He anticipates 400,000 people will attend this year.
New to the parade this year is the United States Marine Corps Quantico band from Virginia.
“It’s a 40-piece band in their dress blues,” Murphy said. “They’re going to be a beautiful precision unit. They’re going to come up right near the front of the parade. We can’t wait for Cleveland to see them.”
And because the parade lands on a weekend, Murphy said it’ll likely extend to two-and-a-half hours. In year’s past, the parade is restricted to about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
PARADE INFO
Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day national anthems start at 12:30 p.m. The parade will step off at 1:04. The parade route is on Superior Avenue. It extends from East 18th to East Roadway of Public Square. It is expected to last two-and-a-half hours.
PARKING
Cleveland Chief of Police Michael McGrath said that many neighboring streets will be posted “NO PARKING” on Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Many people opt for RTA for their parking needs, leading to a jam-packed day, said Mary McCahon, RTA spokesperson.
“We have more people that ride on St. Patrick’s Day than any other day all year long, and this year, being a Saturday, it could be even bigger,” McCahon said.
RTA’s all-day pass costs $5 per person, but McCahon said if you do use its services, it’s best to arrive before 11 a.m.
For a map of the parade route, click here.