by Bea Peterson
Never in the 21 years of the Hoosick Falls St. Patrick’s Day Parade has there been such a glorious day as this past Saturday, March 17. The sky was bright blue; the sun was warm, and the temperature hovered near 70 degrees. It was a far cry from years past when minuscule crowds stood freezing on snow covered streets. [private]Admittedly, some years have had “pleasant” sunny weather, and temperatures have been in the high forties or low fifties. Other years the Village highway crew has had to clear snow from the sidewalks so folks would have a place to stand. Not this year. It was a balmy summer like day. Parade Grand Marshal Roy Hand sat atop an open convertible. That seldom happens.
There were plenty of floats, horses, bands and fire trucks in the parade. The crowds watching were a sea of green. Everyone wore green. Many were in shirtsleeves. Hundreds of people watched the parade and participated in activities throughout the Village.
As always, the Armory was packed. The Irish band Triskele was outstanding. There were Irish dancers, pipe bands, corned beef sandwiches, beer, chocolates, pastries, Irish soda bread and more. The little kids danced to lively music and everybody had a great time.
The beautiful weather brought an even larger than usual crowd to the Sand Bar this year for the Celtic games. There were hundreds of people on hand to watch more than 40 guys and gals participate in the games. Other places in the Village had large crowds as well. It was a phenomenal day. A day that will be remembered for years to come – especially when the customary weather returns to St. Patrick’s Day.
Brooke Williams was the winner of the $500 Dollar St. Patrick’s Day raffle. The $250 raffle winner was William Fitzpatrick. The 50/50 winner was Dan Harris. The Karen McGovern Lottery Basket winner was Pat Carknard.
The 2012 St. Patrick’s Day parade float winners were the O’Malley Family – First Place for the second year in a row. Second place was Saratoga Horse and Carriage. Third place was the Glover Family float, with their twins boys, Grant and Chase who celebrated their first birthdays on St. Patrick’s Day.
[/private]