Thousands of Irish and non-Irish eyes had plenty to smile o’bout Saturday when blue skies and warm temperatures beckoned them out early to watch the 47th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Lower Downtown.
Outfitted in green boa feathers, green beads and green glittery shamrocks pasted to her face, Mary Sullivan and niece Kimberly Sullivan from Bennett joined girlfriends toasting one another with Murphy’s Irish Stout before the parade kicked off near Coors Field.
The women also paid tribute to their late friend Jeff Luginbuel, a longtime St. Patrick’s Day committee member and parade organizer who died last year.
“He lived for this day,” Nicole Rocket noted.
This year’s parade theme was “Irish With Altitude” and there was plenty of that combined with fierce Irish pride as Irish step dancers, bagpipers, queens past and present and floats wound along the parade route that started at 27th and Blake streets and traveled around LoDo before ending at a parking lot north of Coors Field.
Police estimated the crowd at 100,000 while parade organizers said it was at least 210,000.
Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher was named this year’s parade grand marshal.
“I’m honored they asked me,” said Gallagher, whose paternal and maternal grandparents were born on the Emerald Isle and migrated to this country.
Gallagher was joined by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver.
But the city dignitaries didn’t quite make the impression on young paradegoers as did Darth Vader, dozens of marching Stormtroopers and other characters from “Star Wars.”
“Whoa, this is really cool,” said Collin Clarry, 12, of Littleton, who cheerfully wore green beads and ate candy given by parade participants.
Some parade watchers arrived early in rented RVs and staked out spots along the route.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
