2012 • St. Patrick's Day event, Delray Beach Atlantic Avenue - 44th Annual event, March 17, 2012 2pm

Delray Beach - Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, if you were in downtown Delray Beach Saturday. The 44th St. Patrick's Day Parade was infused with a "Me Irish" theme. "Both cultures like to party and have fun and both have cool accents," said Nancy Stewart, of Festival Management Group, which took over organizing the parade last year. "We had a lot of calls from people who thought it was blasphemous and others who felt it was a fun idea." The event, which drew thousands, shut down East Atlantic Avenue from Swinton Avenue to the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway for nearly three hours of revelry. Crowds were especially heavy in front and near the many bars that line the street. Related links Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade Photos There was also the Jamaican Me Irish festival on the grounds of Old School Square. But most of all there were green beads, green beards and green beer. "But today is just about having a good time." The parade itself featured more than 100 local firefighters from cities like Plantation, Coral Springs and Delray Beach. There were also plenty of bagpipes, fire trucks, Ford Model T's, monster trucks and a pack of skateboarders performing tricks as the parade moved west to Swinton Avenue. And there was Petunia, a 19-year-old potbellied pig who's been the mascot of the parade since she was born.

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