Annual parade brings luck of the Irish to S.L.

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 13, 2005 by Lindsey Iorg Deseret Morning News

With all of the bagpipes, kilts and Irish step dancers streaming down the streets Saturday, being Irish for a day seemed to be the trend at Salt Lake's 27th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The main attraction at the parade wasn't the Utah Pipe Band or performers from the Crawford School of Irish dance, but the thousands of parade-goers who filled the sidewalks with clovers, leprechauns, Irish flags and, truthfully, anything they could find that evoked a wee bit of Irish pride.

In fact, for regular attendee Chris Roberts, the bagpipers were a close second to the non-Irish imposters who chose to camouflage themselves into the Celtic culture.

"Bagpipers are definitely a favorite, but the best part are the paradegoers," said Roberts, an Irish-born Utahn. "They are Irish for a day whether Irish or not."

More than 150 floats rolled down the streets influenced by the theme "Finnegan's Awake," a spoof on the famous book "Finnegan's Wake" by Irish writer James Joyce.

Floats included green military vehicles and Mini Coopers. In one display courtesy of Squatters Beer, a giant beer bottle lay in a flat-bed truck, the mouth of the bottle dripping with fluid and the outside lined with actual-size glass beer bottles.

More than 5,000 participants marched through the Gateway Center before disbanding and celebrating more Irish culture at the Siamsa (Sheem-sa), "a gathering of friends" that included music, dancing and local food and craft vendors.

Non-Irish Midvale resident Joanne Buhler travels to Salt Lake City for the parade each year to enjoy fun-loving Irish culture for a day. And this year, she said, the sunny skies didn't hurt.

"I guess it's a habit," Buhler said. "I couldn't even tell you how long I've been coming. I come every year because it's fun."

The Hibernian Society of Utah staged the annual parade. According to secretary Katherine Ghiai, the society hoped that in addition to high spirits, community members also learned about Irish culture and and history.

"It's so rewarding to have such a wonderful day and have people participating," Ghiai said. "Today, everyone's Irish in Utah."

E-mail: Liorg@desnews.com