One after another the children ran to Chelle Konsts SUV, their outstretched hands signalingthey wanted more.
The mother of two young children, Konst was prepared.
She was among the first to claim a spot on Saturday morning along Frantz Road to watch theGreenest, Grandest Parade, the highlight of Dublins St. Patricks Day festivities.
In the back seat of her car was a treasure chest of green, an Irish dress-up box 10 years inthe making. Her children and five other youngsters couldnt get enough.
For 20 minutes, Konst, 38, of the West Side, giggled as she pulled out a seemingly endlesssupply of hats, oversized glasses, socks, necklaces, buttons, earrings and even green eye shadowand lipstick.
The glasses are supposed to be big, she told her 6-year-old son, Kyle, as he struggled tokeep them from falling off.
The loot, neatly organized in a large green tub marked "St. Patricks Day," included knithats with pompoms her mother made for this year.
I adore the parade. This is our 10th year, Konst said.
Im not Irish, but I try to be. Its our favorite holiday. I make green eggs and ham on theactual day, and we dye the milk green.
Rain poured down in the early morning hours but, with the luck of the Irish, stopped at11 a.m. as the parade kicked off with thousands of green-clad spectators lining the streets.
Brent Moffitt, 36, of Dublin, also was serious about his parade attire, turning many headswith his mid-70s green leisure suit.
Thats awesome, one woman said as she walked by.
Moffitt said he quickly laid claim to the suit, and another in brown, after his mother foundthem among his grandfathers belongings after he died.
I wear it on St. Patricks Day and sometimes on Halloween. It converts to a pimp suit. Iwear a large hat with it, he said, adding, Im still looking for one in scarlet and gray.
Vince Morvatz of Akron made for an impressive leprechaun with a red beard, green top hat andvelvet suit.
It real, he said of his beard. Go ahead, pull it.
The fun didnt end after the bagpipes, floats, marching bands and politicians made the finalturn off S. High Street after the hourlong parade.
The Dublin AM Rotary Club brought back the Blarney Bash -- an after-parade party tradition ofthe citys St. Patrick Day celebration until 2006.
The city used to sponsor the bash but stopped to focus on the parade and summer IrishFestival.
We had been hearing that people wanted it back. There was a big void after the parade, saidSue Burness, spokeswoman for the rotary.
The party, at 6540 Kilgour Place, was packed within an hour of the parades end. It includeslive entertainment, food trucks and green beer until 11 p.m.
This is awesome, said Dusty Lombardi of Powell, who worked at her dads pizza shop inDublins historic downtown until it closed.
Dublin really knows how to do it.
@ccandisky
Source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/03/14/early-st-patricks-day-parade.html
No comments:
Post a Comment