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Girardville’s Annual St. Patrick’s Parade To Go On A Week Before Easter

GIRARDVILLE — The terrible weather last month pushed back a huge annual event in Schuylkill County. Girardville’s St. Patrick’s parade is now ...

GIRARDVILLE -- The terrible weather last month pushed back a huge annual event in Schuylkill County.

Girardville's St. Patrick's parade is now scheduled for tomorrow more than 3 weeks after most of us celebrated the wearing of the green.

Despite the freezing rain, the Easter decorations are a sure sign spring is here in this Schuylkill County community of Girardville.

However, those decorations are being outnumbered by all the green that`s still around.

That's because the borough's Saint Patrick's parade was postponed last month due to leftover snow from the blizzard is now back on this weekend.

“Hopefully the turnout, the weather's good tomorrow and people come and enjoy themselves and we have no problems,” said Charles Marquardt.

The parade was supposed to be held on March 25th but was pushed back to April 8th.

So now, one week before Easter, the parade is on, better late than never.

“We`re extremely happy we've finally going to get a break in the weather, because after March 25th, we didn't know if we were going to have a parade because the project was rain, snow, rain, snow,” said Joe Wayne, the parade committee president.

“We expect a better than average crowd tomorrow because it is, like you said, it's April,” said Don Dodash, the parade committee manager. “Weather's supposed to be nicer, we're not used to having nice weather for a parade.”

Two signs posted at a restaurant may sum up the situation perfectly. One sign advertises a “Parade Day Breakfast Buffet” on Saturday, followed by a “Palm Sunday Buffet” the next day.

Over at Marquardt's home, one side of his house is all things Irish.

On the other side, a celebration of Easter.

“If you look over in the lot, we have the cross up for Easter and the lamb's over there in our side lot, over there and all,” said Marquardt.

Regardless of how late it's happening, folks here are just glad that it is.

Organizers are expecting a large crowd and a great time.

“We get very good attendance and it became a homecoming for people,” said Wayne. “Like to say that they're no strangers here just friends you didn't meet yet.”

U.S. Senator Bob Casey is the parade’s grand marshal this year.

The parade kicks off at noon on Saturday, April 8th.

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