Greenville Avenue truly lived up to the green part of its name Saturday during the 45th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The parade, which began at 11 a.m. at the crossroads of Blackwell Street and Greenville Avenue, rode all the way down to SMU Boulevard and ended at 2 p.m.
Some attendees took DART to the parade, while others had been camped out since the early morning to ensure they got the best spot.
Southern Methodist University students Sanjana Pethe, Saloni Bajula and Abby Rieger walked over from their homes to check out the parade for the first time.
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“We wanted to just come out and have a good time and see what the community was doing for St. Patrick’s Day,” Bajula said. “And we thought this would be a good opportunity to meet neighbors in our neighborhood.”
Both sides of the street were filled with people cheering and wearing green. Attendees competed to see who could cheer the loudest and get colorful beads from people in the parade.
At the corner of Caruth Haven and Greenville, some groups were throwing cold tortillas at the floats and people walking in the parade, while another group threw marshmallows at them.
Some of the floats were sponsored by nearby businesses and restaurants like Babones Restaurant and Sports Bar, Apple Pavement and American Golf Cars.
Photos: See the 45th annual Greenville St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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Many were decorated in green and gold frills and balloons, while people dressed as leprechauns rode on top. There were also lowriders and motorcycles revving their engines as they made their way down the road.
There were lots of families with small children watching the parade and vendors selling festive items and food.
One standout float featured the Flying Fezzes and Hella Shrine Directors’ Staff, which consisted of an airplane followed by a live band full of older gentlemen wearing fez hats on the bed of a large semi truck. Their tunes could be heard throughout the street.
“I like being here at the barricade, watching the parade go by and making friends with the strangers nearby,” Rieger said.