OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — St. Patrick’s Day isn't for another week, but the celebrations started Saturday, here in Omaha and across the country.
The holiday and Saturday’s parade were all about the Irish.
Despite the rainy weather, plenty of folks still turned out to celebrate the 144th year of the parade.
This year 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole got to participate as a judge for the parade.
This was also the first year that food trucks accompanied the parade.
The parade also featured reenactors from a number of different time periods, traditional Irish dances, and even a few stormtroopers.
"It's a great way to meet people, you have this thing in common,” said parade viewer, Joann Blaylock. “You're here to celebrate so a nice diverse group, kind of a snapshot of Omaha, so kind of fun.”
This year, the boy scouts were out braving the chilly weather to participate in the parade and hand out thousands of flags to parade attendees so they could celebrate the holiday's Irish roots.
"Boy scouts love being a part of the community and events like this and it's a great honor and a lot of fun,” said Tom St. Germain. “You know scouts aren't afraid of the weather so here we are prepared and ready to have a good time either way.”
In addition to the parade, there are also several St. Patrick’s Day-themed bar crawls happening across Omaha next weekend.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
