Crowds put on the green for Spokane’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade

Ken Daly lives for St. Patrick’s Day.

His wife advises their kids to just let their dad enjoy himself as he gets out his St. Patrick’s Day outfit and prepares to head down to watch Spokane’s annual parade.

Daly was there Saturday as the parade wound through the streets, posing for pictures and chatting with people admiring his costume. Orange- and white-striped socks climbed up to his knees, topped with green pants and a green shirt. A scarf the same colors as the Irish flag was draped around his neck. He wore a giant, oversized green bow tie and oversized green-framed glasses.

A fake orange beard covered up Daly’s real gray beard, but he said next year he might take the next step and simply dye his beard orange. He also carried a knobby Irish walking stick and wore a green hat on his head.

“I just love St. Patrick’s Day,” he said. “I get a lot of pictures taken. I love it. It brings the joy of Ireland to people.”

Daly’s family came to the United States from County Cork during the Irish potato famine, which struck the country in the mid-19th century. Originally their last name was O’Daly, but it was hard for Irish immigrants to find work, so they dropped the “O,” Daly said.

Daly and his family visited Ireland last year, and he’s always happy to talk about his heritage. “This is my day,” he said. “That’s what my wife says.”

Traci Garcia doesn’t have a shred of Irish ancestry in her as far as she knows, but that didn’t stop her from bringing her extended family down to watch the parade. They were accompanied by Justice, a massive black English mastiff and Neapolitan mastiff mixed-breed dog. Justice wore a bright green jacket to keep him warm and dry.

“This is probably the one parade we make it to every year,” Garcia said. “It’s a fun one. They always give out great candy.”

For her the parade marks the end of winter weather. “You get to see the Irish dancing,” she said. “That’s kind of fun. We get in our own cultural bubble sometimes.”

The parade didn’t disappoint. There were more than one group of Irish dancers and two bagpipe groups mixed in with the green animals, including llamas and dogs, and more traditional floats that included the Lilac princesses. And the kids who arrived with empty bags anticipating showers of candy likely did not leave empty-handed.

In a change from last year’s wet, blustery weather that sent people scurrying for shelter, the temperatures Saturday were mild and everything stayed dry. According to Daly, that’s because it never rains when he shows up in his costume.

So what happened last year? He had other plans and couldn’t make it to the parade, he said.