OK I know Mardi Gras was Tuesday but St. Paddys Day is a fixed calendar event so when it comes around it comes around. And a holiday means just one thing in New Orleans … parades.
Well really it means more than one thing but the topic for today is parades. As in Mollys Carriage Parade Friday in the Quarter, the Irish Channel Parade on Saturday Uptown and the Metarie Irish Parade Sunday in Old Metarie. And of course the Downtown Irish Club Parade on Thursday.
Then Super Sunday for the Mardi Gras Indians a week from today …. ooops, that’s another story also.
Now usually I ride in the Mollys Carriage Parade but really this year I was just too tired. At my age you have to pace yourself. Especially when you’re doing Mardi Gras with Gayle who apparently has the DNA from which the Energizer Bunny was spawned.
So I opted for the sunshine and fresh air of the Irish Channel on Saturday. Good choice as we had great crowds with up close and personal floats and marching groups, including the Emerald Society with representatives of police departments from New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Boston as well as a band of pipers from the New York Fire Department.
As always, the signature throw for St. Paddys Day is a cabbage. Yes the vegetable. And believe me, you better be paying attention when they start heaving those bad boys around because they don’t bounce off the noggin like plastic beads.
So Happy St. Patricks Day to one and all …. I’ll have more from the parade on Thursday! Until then, peace love and cabbages.
