NEW ORLEANS — It is expected to be windy and in the 40s when the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade steps off on Saturday in New Orleans.
Organizers say Irish eyes will be smiling even if the weather could be a little better.
“We’re going to have a good time, no matter what,” parade VP Ronnie Burke said. “As long as the winds don’t get up around 60 miles per hour, everything should be fine.”
This parade was the first major event cancelled in New Orleans two years ago because of the pandemic.
“We’ve been ready for two years,” Burke said. “We hit the streets on Saturday. We’ve got 1,200 members in the organization. We have 44 units in the parade. So, we’ll have a good time.”
Five Arnold brothers will be among the riders tossing 22 tons of cabbage and other throws to the crowds.
This year, they are riding in honor of their late father former Algiers Tax Assessor Tom Arnold who passed away in June.
“He’ll be on all of our hearts, everybody in this group because he ran this thing and grew this group we ride with over the years,” Billy Arnold said.
All of the riders are excited to get back on the parade route, Arnold added.
“It’s going to be great. No rain. It’s going to be a little chilly, dress appropriately.”
In Metairie, officials with Sunday’s Metairie Road St. Patrick’s Day parade gathered Friday afternoon for their annual kick off at Fulco’s Bar.
“The Irish have all the luck in the world,” parade president Dan Civello said. “We’re going to have fun, regardless of what the weather is.”
Civello says the Metairie event is the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world.
“They’ll be throwing a lot of vegetables, a lot of beads, we’ve got 48 floats and 50 trucks,” Civello said. “We have 13 marching groups.”
Back at the Irish Channel float den, riders expect a packed parade route, despite the cold temperatures. They had some advice for parade goers.
“We may have a little Irish coffee in the morning,” Burke said. “Come on out and enjoy the festivities.”
“Bundle up,” Arnold said. “I’m going to wear a kilt, so if I can do it, you can do it.”
When Irish hearts are happy, the world seems a little brighter even when it’s cold and blustery outside.
More St. Patrick’s Day parades are planned this weekend for Slidell, Covington, and Bayou Lafourche.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.