ST. LOUIS — The Irish spirit is alive and well in Dogtown after a couple of years of cancelled events due to COVID-19.
David Schumaker and Casey McCaskill snagged their spot two hours before the parade stepped off Thursday morning.
"We've been waiting for it two years now. We are so glad it's back. What a gorgeous day too," they said. "We are so happy."
The sun shined over Dogtown as Irish dancers tapped down Tamm Avenue and Irish wolfhounds wagged for their admiring fans. The St. Patrick's Day crowd was a couple of rows deep and the parade was a couple of miles long.
Spirits were high, but not only for paradegoers. Members of the band Rusty Nail were thrilled to actually get to perform.
"We were supposed to play in 2020," Chad Ross told 5 On Your Side. "Obviously, we couldn't, so we've been waiting two years to play."
Crowds were a welcome sight for businesses, too.
"It feels great," Heavy Riff Brewing Owner Rick Hagen told 5 On Your Side. "Little busier than we expected. I think people made up for some lost time."
The 2022 parade also marked the end of one tradition: beads. It was the last year they would be thrown into the crowd.
“This is the last year that the parade will allow the floats to distribute beads to the audience,” parade organizer and Pat Connolly Tavern owner Joe Jovanovich previously said. “We are trying to cut down on the amount of beads being thrown in future years because it can be a nuisance to the neighborhoods and creates a lot of waste and trash.”