Rockford starts the celebration of St. Patrick's Day on Saturday

Rockford, Ill. (Wifr) – In the expectation of the holiday on Monday, hundreds of people gather on Saturday in downtown Rockford for the 49th annual parade in St. Patrick's Day.

This long -term tradition began almost half a century ago by a group of people who wanted to celebrate the Irish heritage in Forest City.

“It is huge and if you have like this cold weather, you don't know how many people will appear, but obviously the Irish were thick bloody, we did it,” said Michael Boland, the chairman of St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Boland was right that the colder temperatures and rain opportunities on Saturday did not prevent people from filling the streets in green and gold.

“Just look around and you will see how many people still love it. So, we don't care, Chicago can have yours, we have a good time here, ”said Boland.

“You know that some people may think like Rockford, they know because it is not as big as they know that it is not as cool, but all these swimmers and everything, it is really cool to see when it comes together,” said the parade, Gabrielle Reed.

Rockford's Irish March Society organized the celebrations, and their mission got up: a celebration that includes the entire community.

“I just like it, I like to see all the different swimmers and the cars, and all of them just throw sweets. It only shows how people can get together just to know, just have fun, ”said Reed.

“I love to come here,” said Parade participant Nora Rodriguez. “There was one jeep who said Elphaba, and I am obsessed with the film Wicked, so that it might have been my favorite jeep.”

Parade officials say they hope that tradition in the forest city will continue.

“This is our forty ninth year, the next year in our fiftieth year, so it will be even bigger next year,” said Boland.

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