During this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, nearly 10,000 spectators lined Madison Street, Saturday afternoon from Van Buren Street to Elgin Avenue, many of them children with outstretched arms, holding bags to be filled with candy and any other items that marchers tossed their way.
Although there were a few gaps during the parade, more than 80 groups walked the route or rode down the street in decked-out cars and floats, including village fire trucks, a District 91 school bus coated with green fringe, and the Medinah Shriners riding their chopper motorcycles and miniature 1957 Chevrolets.
Even some larger name corporations joined in on the fun. Jimmy Johns passed out bags of their signature chips, and a lime green Ford Mustang carried McDonalds’ Hamburglar and Grimace, new to this year’s parade.
Other participants included local organizations, businesses and bands — from Band of Brothers playing their bagpipes to the Proviso Marching Band.
While the Chamber of Commerce organized Forest Park’s 28th parade, dozens of other supporters helped. In addition to those who contributed with their time and talent, the parade’s title sponsors included the village, O’Sullivan’s Public House, Ironworkers Local 1 and Laborers’ International Union of North America Local One, Rework Office Furniture and Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch.