This picture is my personal favorite. I took it in a small town a couple of years ago. Proud mother and her beautiful baby daughter, surrounded with their family, are standing in the crowd of spectators during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the first such Parade for the baby.
St. Patrick’s Day parade features everything Irish. It is a wonderful spectacle of marching bands and dancers, schools and community groups, and various floats, that include local businesses, artists, firefighters and many others.
This year, almost 60 parades and many more cultural events and festivals took place throughout the country. The main National Parade in Dublin city attracted more than 500,000 spectators
To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, some of the parades include the re-enactments of the events.
Waterford City was the first city to declare St Patrick’s Day a national holiday, and to entirely suspend business on the day. Before 1903 St Patrick’s Day was not a national holiday in Ireland.
The theme of this year’s parade in Waterford city was ‘Three Sisters 2020: Celebrating Waterford’s Cultural Diversity’. The Three Sister’s bid sees Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford in a joint initiative to become European Capital of Culture 2020. The annual parade was accompanied by various street performances and other cultural activities throughout the day.
The county’s cultural diversity was presented with a number of international entries. For the first time, members of the Ukrainian community took part.
Members of the Filipino community, who won Best Community Float last year, returned with a new colourful creation.
Three African communities participated in the parade this year.
My favorites are the local theatrical groups, because the characters are interacting with the spectators during the march, and it is always fun.
Marching to his own beat 🙂
Evolution themed SPRAOI float is leaving the parade, and the spectators are leaving too, but the celebration is not over.
In addition to the parade, a series of events are staged in the city centre, featuring entertainment from local bands, amusement rides and a treasure hunt.
This year, about 60 different communities were presented in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Waterford City. Thank you for taking part!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Making memories 
Just a lovely post. Thank you for sharing an authentic Irish Parade. Have had a very nice visit and look so forward to following your beautiful website.
Thank you for stopping by, JoHanna!
Pleasure all mine. Your photography and website is just stellar. which has me saying humbly, Thank you for choosing to follow JoHannaMassey.com.
Thank you 🙂
What a happy looking parade. It seems there were quite a few interesting characters there too.
Always fun. Many theatrical groups take part in the parades.
So much fun 🙂 Love the images you took during the parade 🙂
Thank you Indah! Many happy faces around 🙂
Such wonderful photos Inese. You capture everyone looking so natural and happy, such a gift you have. 🙂
Thank you so much, Marje! People love Patrick’s parades, and it is not difficult to find a happy face there 🙂
Definitely love street photos capturing people unawares !
What a wonderful parade, Inese, and a fantastic turn out of local people. The number of international entries was great to see, too. I loved all the happy, smiling faces and you captured their enjoyment of the day so well. It will be interesting to see which of the three towns wins the European capital of culture. 🙂
Thank you Millie! I love the community spirit of the parades. As to the hosting a capital of culture, I think they act as a region this time, not as separate towns.
Ah. I imagine all three regions have got so much to offer and will put up a very good fight for the title.
It has been 11 years since Cork city had the title. Another four years will make it 15. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get it. The competitors are some Croatian cities.
As always, it will be a few years of effort ahead for all involved. I always feel sorry for the losers. They all put so much into the bid.
And they are usually as good as the winners.
Thank you so much! This is a wonderful day when people truly feel united.
It is so nice when people go to the streets to make fun and enjoy being together!
Wonderful photos, as always 🙂