Crowds Brave Cold Weather For St. Patrick's Day Parade
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Cold weather returned to Pittsburgh just in time for the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade, but that didn't stop the crowds from coming out to celebrate Saturday morning.
Folks lined the streets, bundled up in green attire, to watch the parade go by. Some people sitting in lawn chairs covered themselves in blankets for extra warmth. They said it was worth it to come out to the parade.
"I will be honest, I wish it was a few degrees warmer, but I am glad that the sun is out and it is dry, so it should be a good day for a parade," Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald marched in the parade along with Governor Tom Wolf and Mayor Bill Peduto.
"It's a celebration of an Irish heritage, but really it's a celebration of Pittsburgh and what we do," Fitzgerald said.
"When I've been here before, there's just such an energy and a great spirit, and I just love being part of it," Wolf said.
Bands, bagpipes, dancers and floats filled Liberty Avenue, and this year's Miss Smiling Irish Eyes, Sydney Diulus, sat in a horse-drawn coach with her court.
"Even though it's a little cold, it's still exciting," Diulus said. "The love and the support of all the parade-goers will definitely keep us warm."
The Pittsburgh Pirate Parrot, Steely McBeam and a green-suited Santa Claus were also among those in the parade, waving to the crowd.
Even Punxsutawney Phil made an appearance on a bus in the parade. A banner on the back of the bus read, "Phil said it would!," referencing his prediction this year for 6 more weeks of winter.
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