St. Patrick's Day fun at the South Side Irish Parade

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An annual Chicago tradition is celebrating St. Patrick's Day on March 12, 2017. The South Side Irish Parade steps off at noon at 103rd and Western in the Beverly neighborhood.

The family-friendly event features 13 bagpipe and marching bands, Irish dance schools, floats and even a 6-foot-tall Haribo Gummy Bear.

The Grand Marshal for this year's South Side Irish Parade is the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The non-profit is a leader in research, patient care and education about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Organizers for the South Side Irish Parade expect around 200,000 spectators. The Co-Chair of the South Side Irish Parade Committee, Jeannie Kovak, joined ABC 7 live along the parade route before the start of all the fun.

South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade

Date: Sunday, March 12, 2017

Hours: Parade steps off at Noon

Address: Parade steps off from 103rd and Western and marches south down Western Avenue to 115th

Admission: FREE

Parking: There will be no street parking on the east side of Artesian from 103rd to 111th beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. No parking will be allowed on Western Avenue from 99th to 119th beginning at 6 a.m. Expect vehicle traffic to be restricted on side streets surrounding Western Avenue from approximately 9 a.m. to until 3 p.m.