March 8th, 2012 
Photo Courtesy Times Picayune
Less than a month after storing the Mardi Gras floats, it’s time to pull them out again. This time, draped in green and four-leaf clovers to usher in the Luck ‘O The Irish! Parades kick off on Saturday, March 10th in Metairie with the annual Italian-American St. Joseph’s Day Parade.
On Sunday, March 11th Metairie’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on its usual route. Starting at noon parade goers will be thrown cabbages, carrots, garlic and onions – essentials needed to make a proper Irish Stew. Other throws include flowers, stuffed animals and beads of course.
On Saturday, March 17th the mega-parade of our favorite green holiday, the St. Pat’s Irish Channel Parade begins at noon and runs through the old Irish Channel (where the Irish immigrants lived after coming to New Orleans to escape the great Irish Potato Famine in the late 1800’s.) Again you will have the chance to be pelted with produce (including potatoes) and also green beads with tiny plastic toy mugs of beer attached to them.
That night the annual downtown parade begins at 6 p.m. in the French Quarter. Mostly a walking parade, it turns into an Irish pub-crawl by 8 p.m.
So get out your prettiest green party dress and don’t forget, Erin go Bragh means: “Ireland Forever”
