Rain doesn’t stop the Irish. On Saturday, Somerville held the 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, regardless of the poor weather. The wind was strong and the rain was steady, making it a bit more difficult to enjoy the festivities. Compared to past years, its turnout was heavily diminished. Main street was closed for the duration of the day.

The parade started with a plethora of boy scouts and girl scouts leading the rest of the crowd. The green decor and elaborate costumes showed how excited people were for the day ahead of them.

The parade organizers did an amazing job supporting the first-responders in town. All of the police, firefighters and EMTs seemed grateful for receiving the recognition that they deserve. It was also comical to see such respectable men dressed in such goofy outfits. Some of the firefighters stood on top of the truck, throwing candy out to all the children. No matter how old, everyone was enjoying themselves, and the day was filled with shamrocks and happiness.

A huge part of the parade is the unique and collectible cars that people drive out for this special day. These cars seem to be a favorite part of the event. Walking around and looking at all of the cars has been a tradition for various years now.

The crowd enjoyed embracing the Irish culture and learning new and exciting traditions. Bagpipers marched the parade route dressed in beautiful green kilts and sporrans.

Main Street in Somerville is filled with various food options that had Saint Patrick’s day specials. Alfonso Trattoria, Central Pizza, and the Salad House were some of the parade-goers’ favorites. There were also lots of cute boutiques and shops for every type of person to enjoy. Pets are more than welcome to come along to this fun day as well!

If you missed out on the Irish fun this year, you definitely need to enjoy the parade next time around.