Bagpipes, pugs, vintage vehicles and loads of candy at this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

Despite record snowfall the day before, the streets of downtown Spokane bustled with bagpipes, Irish dancers and scores of citizens adorned in green for this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday.

It was 3-year-old Jett Morris and 5-year-old Houston Morris’s first-ever parade. Their mom, Candace Morris, said the boys walked away with scores of candy, particularly the sour worm and Skittles kind. Their favorite attraction to see were the six concrete trucks that passed by blaring tunes and honking their horns. Houston added from the confines of his stroller that he particularly enjoyed the variety of dancers who performed.

A sunny, but chilly day, the Morris family brought a heated blanket and picked a spot around 11:30 a.m. to watch the procession. 

Connie Dalla said the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is slowly becoming the new Halloween for her granddaughter, Karena Hughes. The 10-year-old from Spokane nodded excitedly and showed her grocery bag full of candy before running back out out onto the street to get even more sweets. 

“I think the Central Pre-Mix crew did the best so far,” Dalla said. “They were at least a block long.”

Dalla said her husband of 32 years usually joins them every year for the parade, but he had to work as a security guard on Saturday. Her husband’s birthday is on March 17, so whenever they would take their kids to the parade it was always known as “dad’s parade.” With the grandkids, now it’s known as “grandpa’s parade.”

Even though there were hundreds of people lining the street starting at Washington Street and spanning all along West Spokane Falls Boulevard, Dalla thinks the turnout was less than usual for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick’s annual parade . This could be because the parade route was shortened by about a block. Or it could’ve been because Spokane received 8.2 inches of snow on Friday, setting a record for the day. Whatever the reason, Dalla said there were about half as many people on Saturday then there normally are, as it’s usually difficult to find standing room along the street, she said.

Joe and Kori Rees almost didn’t make an appearance this year because they were worried it was going to snow, rain, or maybe both. But when they saw it was sunny, they decided to keep their 20-year tradition alive. The couple born and raised in Spokane have friends who played the bagpipes in this year’s parade. Seeing them perform was the highlight of their day, the Rees couple said.

After the show, they planned to go to north Spokane, where there are less people, to grab a bite to eat and drink a dark beer of some kind, most likely a Guinness. 

“I mean, it’s just a great representation of the community,” Joe Rees said. “That’s what it is. It’s all community businesses.”

Dressed in a kilt and striped green socks, Jeff Fox looked only a little cold. The man born in Canada has called Spokane his home for the last 24 years. This year was his first time attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade, but it seems it won’t be his last. He had a hard time picking his favorite float or performance, as it was a four-way tie between the vintage vehicles, the assortment of dancers, the talented flute players and the six or seven pugs who waddled alongside their owners. 

“I always see (parades) them on TV, but that’s just not the same as in person.”