DALLAS — Thousands of people lined the streets for the much-missed event to celebrate Irish heritage. You could see all kinds of green along Greenville Avenue.
Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki served as Grand Marshal for the 41st St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dallas.
Some participants like Jason Goins and his neighbors use the parade for more than just fun. They participated after getting together to make their own float.
But for them, it's more than just a time to have fun.
"We also use this as an opportunity to fundraiser for a non-profit called Adams Animals that give new stuffed animals to children in local hospitals that are in the cancer ward," said Goins.
The parade is back after two years of being put on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tommy Donahue manages a Dallas bar along the parade route. He is used to seeing hundreds of thousands of people show up for the parade. It's usually one of the busiest days of the year for him.
"It's great, started on time, so it's gotten to this point at this time for us," said Donahue. "The crowd is a little thinner than I thought. After two years I thought there would be a lot more people than this."
Still, after a two-year shutdown parade watchers enjoyed the sights and sounds. Many people in Dallas and the surrounding areas have been waiting for a reason just to put on something green, tailgate with family and friends and simply have fun.
Organizers estimated about 75,000 people attended the parade.
The official calendar date for St. Patrick's Day is March 17, 2022. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.
On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.
