A wet morning gave way to clear skies, just in time for the noon step off of the 2nd Annual Kings Park St. Patrick's Day Parade.
"Irish eyes were smiling on us today," said one parade goer. "I knew the rain would stop," she said.
More than 100 organizations marched in the parade alongside a cavalry of classic cars and fire trucks.
Restaurants such as Relish set up shop outside to serve revelers food and drink. Tents were set up in the parking lot and beer was on tap as parade watchers enjoyed corned beef sandwiches and listened to live Irish music.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall marked the end of the parade route and had a packed house, serving as a gathering place for anyone who wanted to grab a drink and a bite to eat.
Parade floats were fun and lively, or should we say alive. Live farm animals were stocked on the float from Raleigh's Farm. The Statue of Liberty adorned the Park Lounge's, while Shanahan's entry had live music.
"Talk about Kings Park pride," said parade organizer John Gallagher, "we got wet from the rain at the beginning, but everyone was so great to show and we finally got one of the most beautiful days afterall."
Last year's act was hard to follow, but it looks like Kings Park might have set the bar just a wee higher this year. Mr. Denis, have you started planning for next year yet?
