During the first part of the pandemic, I went down the ancestry rabbit hole and found out that I am more Irish than I thought I was: last names like Hollywood and Butler cover large swaths of my family tree.
And somehow being a native Hoosier I’ve never been to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, held annually downtown. Growing up I remember it being a large even. Many schools send students and staff to walk in the parade; those that aren’t there officially still end up skipping school—often with parents’ permission—to stand and watch.
Kids sit along the curb with buckets and bags waiting for the candy that’s passed out by participants. It seemed as if the children might take home more candy and sweets from this parade than Halloween!
The parade started with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Motorcycle Drill Team, bikes adorned with green festive letters spelling out Indianapolis, roaring down Pennsylvania Ave. They were followed by Mayor Joe Hogsett running up to parade goers to say hello, give hugs, and shake hands.
