South Side Irish Parade returns to Chicago
CHICAGO (WLS) -- St. Patrick's Day celebrations continued on the city's South Side Sunday with the South Side Irish Parade.
The parade route stretches from 103rd-115th along Western Avenue. No street parking is allowed along Western between 99th and 119th, and starting at 8 a.m. no parking will be allowed on the east side of Artesian from 103rd-111th.
Parade organizers say they do not anticipate Sunday's light rain to deter crowds.
"It's an Irish mist so we can handle it down here on the South Side, we'll be fine. I haven't heard anyone saying they're not coming because of the rain, I talked to a few of the pipe bands last night. We're expecting turnout to be as anticipated," said Patrick Coakley, parade organizer.
Organizers remind attendees that there is a zero-tolerance policy for drinking along the parade route.
The 2016 parade grand marshals are South Siders fighting childhood cancer represented by four neighborhood charities. Alison Kelly is this year's parade queen, an Irish dancer with ties to the South Side going all the way back to her great-great grandfather.
The annual South Side parade continues the weekend-long St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the city. On Saturday the city hosted the annual downtown parade and Chicago River dyeing.
