BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Beads and candy were flying, beer was flowing and bagpipes were bellowing Saturday afternoon in Bethlehem.
Seas of green lined either side of Main Street.
Fire trucks, marching bands, classic cars, dancers and the like romped through the city’s North Side.
And that’s a wrap on the Parade of Shamrocks 2024! Story to come later today. @LVNewsdotcom pic.twitter.com/LN7bOPSHDB
— LVN Will Oliver (@LVN_WillOliver) March 16, 2024
The Parade of Shamrocks, hosted by Celtic Cultural Alliance, had its first showing since 2019.
It ran for about an hour, starting along West Broad Street, taking a right down Main and ending at the Hill-to-Hill Bridge.
Looking the part
Andrew Pergantis, who lives in Reading and has a birthday on St. Patrick’s Day, said he and his wife actually ended up in Bethlehem about six years ago but missed the parade that weekend.
They were making it this time around, he said.
“I’m 100-percent Greek, but I’m Irish on my birthday."Andrew Pergantis, Reading resident
He sure dressed the part, too. Fuzzy green stockings, “Buddy” the leprechaun on his shoulder, beads galore, two-foot-tall hat and beer mug in hand.
It appeared Buddy even had his own drink.
“I’m 100-percent Greek, but I’m Irish on my birthday,” Pergantis said, motioning to his get-up.
A family endeavor
The Lopez-Torres clan of cousins — made up of Kaylin, Cely, Xay, Xyell, Faith, JuJu, Kwame, Senny and Kamilah, alongside their friend Brandon Hammon — piped up that they were excited to see the horses of the Bethlehem Mounted Police and hear all the music.
The cousins live in Bethlehem and hail from Allentown.
Curtis Inniss, a bus driver with the Bethlehem Area School District, said he’s lived in Bethlehem for about five years now but this made for his first St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Speaking with LehighValleyNews.com before the parade, he’d soon be driving a BASD bus decked out with green streamers and chocolate at the ready for anyone close by.
His daughter Currecia, 7, is a second grader at Spring Garden Elementary.
She said she was in charge of tossing golden chocolate coins to the crowd — an all-important role in the festivities.
The Innisses said they planned for a relaxing day at home following the madness at the parade.
They were joined by other school district bus drivers Brenda Sciascia, Lisa Sommers, Tami Kieffer, and Julia Rosario, as well as Transportation Maintenance Supervisor Mike Byrnes.
Doggie heaven
We all know our furry friends can’t miss out on the party, especially considering the mild weather this weekend.
MIGHTYPAWZ of Bethlehem, a group providing dog boarding, grooming and daycare, had its own “Mighty Bus” with their furry partners close by.
Jay Martinez and his husband Rob Rozak run the operation together.
Martinez even donned the company’s mascot outfit — an orange dog with a red and blue kilt they called “Doug.”
The MIGHTYPAWZ crew was joined by a number of rescued doggies: a “mutt” named Daisy with a green tutu; Turnip the Pyrenees Cattle Dog with a red kilt; and a Maltese-Pug mix with festive green dots named Penelope.
The crew was joined by a number of rescued doggies: a “mutt” named Daisy with a green tutu; Turnip the Pyrenees Cattle Dog with a red kilt; and a Maltese-Pug mix with festive green dots named Penelope.
But it wouldn’t be an official Irish celebration without the signature towering Wolfhounds.
Dog brother and sister Nasch and Nansie were hard to miss in the West Walnut Street alley outside of McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar.
The two weighed in about 185 and 150 pounds, respectively, according to their handler Joe Roland, of Sinking Spring, Berks County.
Dog brother and sister Nasch and Nansie, both Irish Wolfhounds, weighed in at 185 and 150 pounds, respectively.
Roland said Saturday made for his first parade in Bethlehem, and about 20 dogs showed up to show out.
But his group, the Irish Wolfhound Association of the Delaware Valley, has been part of many parades over the years, including an annual showing in East Stroudsburg, he said.
Roland said he’s been involved with the breed for about four decades, and he’s had many years of experience breeding and preparing them for shows.
“The gentleman that owns this business here, he’s a friend of ours,” Roland said, pointing to McCarthy’s.
“He’s a great dog man,” said another IWADV member Betsy Daly, speaking of McCarthy’s owner Neville Gardner just as he walked by.
'The perfect storm'
Gardner, a native of Northern Ireland and fellow dog owner, said it’s been a bit hectic preparing for Saturday, especially since McCarthy’s recently experienced a fire that shut down the joint temporarily.
They brought in a “double-load” of fresh cod, and corned beef has been slow-cooking constantly throughout the week, he said.
Red Stag even had a pop-up on site for the day, featuring a signature whiskey, Irish Cream and caramel fusion whiskey all made with his grandmother’s signature cream recipe, Gardner said.
“To bring home to here, to let people share in the Irish hospitality and friendship — that’s what it’s all about. Ireland’s famous export is its people, but obviously our culture. This time of year everybody wants to be Irish.”Neville Gardner, owner of McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar
“GrannyMac” Irish Cream and its other related products came through a partnership with Triple Sun Spirits of Emmaus.
Gardner said the parade, weather and atmosphere on Saturday made for “the perfect storm.”
“To bring home to here, to let people share in the Irish hospitality and friendship — that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
“Ireland’s famous export is its people, but obviously our culture. This time of year everybody wants to be Irish.”
