ABC7 Chicago celebrates St. Patricks' Day in Chicago with live parade special
CHICAGO (WLS) -- After a two-year pandemic hiatus, ABC 7 went all-in to showcase one of Chicago's most cherished traditions, the St. Patrick's Day Parade with a special two-hour broadcast.
ABC 7's honorary Irish hosts, anchor Judy Hsu and Windy City Weekend's Ryan Chiaverini, returned to the broadcast booth and were joined by Karen Ryan providing parade color commentary with meteorologist Larry Mowry covering the excitement and pageantry on the street.
ABC7's parade coverage featured perennial favorites including bagpipers, Irish step dancers, floats, marching bands and marching politicians that make this one of the most celebrated events in Chicago.
Judge John C. Griffin, retired justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, was the 2022 parade grand marshal; and Consul General Kevin Byrne was the guest of honor.
And no St. Patrick's Day parade is complete without its Irish Queen. This year's reigning monarch is Kelly Leyden who, when not performing her royal duties, works on the city's South Side and keeps citizens safe as a Chicago police officer.
The St. Patrick's Day parade, ran south to north on Columbus Drive, and was organized by Chicago Plumber's Union Local 130, James F. Coyne, general chairman of parade.
About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces "Chicago Proud," a series of features that spotlights everyday heroes in and around Chicago. The station also produces the highest-rated New Year's Eve special in Chicago, holiday kickoff special "The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival," syndicated to a national audience, as well as the award-winning program series "Our Chicago," which showcases the city's diversity and highlights contributions in the Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+ communities, among others. Every Friday, Windy City Weekend, entertains while giving Chicagoans everything they need to know about what's happening in the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives, one of the biggest one-day drives in the country and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.
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