South Boston draws large crowds for annual Irish heritage parade

Boston celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with its annual parade in South Boston on Sunday, as a large crowd lined the streets for one of the nation’s biggest Irish-heritage events, according to the Associated Press.

The parade drew revelers from across Massachusetts and beyond, with marching bands, floats, veterans’ groups and local organizations moving through the neighborhood as spectators packed the route behind barricades.

Police lined the route as Irish dancers, bagpipers and Revolutionary War reenactors marched past cheering attendees, while some spectators waved Irish flags as the parade passed.

On the streets and above them, residents and visitors took part in the viewing from multiple vantage points: students stood on rooftops and people leaned over porch railings of South Boston’s triple-decker homes, waving and cheering along the sidewalks.

The parade also drew attention for its crowd’s variety of celebrations, with many spectators wearing green beads and shamrock hats, as well as Celtics gear, and families bringing young children to watch.

One college student was reported to have stood out in a fluffy green robe during the parade, and parents pushed toddlers in strollers draped with Irish flags as the procession continued through the neighborhood.

City officials made the parade route slightly different from past years as part of planning to manage the large crowds expected for the annual celebration, with preparations taking place over weeks involving police, transit officials and emergency crews.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade is typically seen as a major annual tradition in Boston, a city with deep Irish roots, and it often coincides with celebrations of Evacuation Day.

This year, Evacuation Day falls on Tuesday, and the parade’s scheduling placed it immediately before that commemoration.

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