urbanSTL

^Yeah, and when did St. Pat's day become all about getting as many stupid green beads as possible?

Somehow, idiots now associate Mardi Gras beads with any type of party/drunken revelry.

St. Pat's Day 09 couldn't have been with better weather. Absolutely gorgeous. I had a blast, and from what it looks like just a scattering of underage drinkers were about the only arrests.



as someone who walks in the parade every year the 11:30 starting time did make it an early day (both the start of drinking and the end of it)! But I guess with the highway construction done next year it will go back to 12:30 again.



as for the green beads, yeah some of the 40 yr. olds who scream "BEADS" for cheap plastic trinkets can get annoying but it's not like St. Patrick's Day would be the Opera without them. It's known (at least everywhere in the US) as a day to get a little drunk and let your hair down. They showed some of the St. Patty's celebration in NYC on the "Daily Show" and while I didn't see a single green bead but the drunks were yelling all the same!

The beads are because Johnny Brock's and those countless places nearby are doing what they can to make a buck. Can't say I blame them for trying.

BEST weather I can EVER remember and I have been going up to this parade since I was in a stroller



It was so much fun that it took me this long to comment. Just now recovered.



Anyone hear official estimates on how many people attended?

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Looks like things have gotten so out of control for the south side St. Patty's parade in Chicago that they're now cancelling it.

I can see something like this happening to the Dogtown St Pats parade and Soulard Mardi Gras parade. All it takes is one incident with some freaking idiot(s) to ruin a good thing. Every one of these events is one incident away...Look what happened to Fat Tuesday. Unfortunate reality of gathering 1000's of people together, under the influence.

I do find it amusing how New Orleans has continued with Mardi Gras for over 300 yrs. but other cities can't handle one day celebrations. Part of it has to do with the police, in NOLA they are trained to know when someone is causing trouble and when they are not. If you are arrested during Mardi Gras you won't get out of jail until Ash Wed.



But the citizenry also plays a role. I think when people view drinking, letting your hair down and having a good time as something that is almost shameful to do they will do it in such a way as to really be destructive.



Contrary to popular belief Mardi Gras in New Orleans is something that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Sure there are some places where it's a little more R rated than others, but no one seems ashamed to celebrate.



that being said I don't think St. Pat's in Dogtown or Mardi Gras in Soulard this year saw much destructive behavior so I hope no one is considering pursuing that route here. I don't mind St. Louis being known as a place that, while Midwestern, is a little more lively and quirky than say, Omaha.

Apparently Chicago can't handle the excitement. From the Chicago Tribune:

South Side Irish: Party's over for parade

Event in Beverly and Morgan Park had turned into big drinking fest

By Stacy St. Clair and Andrew L. Wang- Chicago Tribune reporters

March 26, 2009



When the first South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade passed Michael Hughes' door in 1979, he considered it nothing more than a neighborhood lark.



Seventeen kids, the "wee folks," as the adults called them, marched on a South Talman Avenue sidewalk, led by a boy dressed as St. Patrick.



The procession struck a chord with the heavily Irish neighborhood, becoming an annual tradition that grew each year. About 300,000 spectators attended the most recent one March 15.



That growth came at a steep price. A 30-year tradition that began as a whimsical walk gave way to a massive street party filled with drunken brawlers and underage drinkers.



"It just got totally out of hand," Hughes said. "It's a shame, but I understand the decision."

Continue reading>>>

Police arrested 54 people at this year's event, most of them on alcohol-related charges, said Morgan Park District Sgt. Mike Casey. The numbers represent a significant increase over 2008, when 30 arrests were made.



Of those 54 arrested, only seven lived in Chicago. The others primarily lived in the south suburbs, though some hailed from such far-flung locales as Mundelein, Naperville and St. John, Ind. One arrestee came all the way from Arkansas, Casey said.

Well, those suburban Cook County kids sure can ruin a good thing.

StlToday - St. Patrick's Day parades in Dogtown, downtown will adjust start times in 2018

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/a ... d5f65.html