ROANOKE, Va. – St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which means that the Freedom First St. Patrick’s Day and Shamrock Festival rocked Downtown Roanoke.
The parade began at 10:00 A.M. on Jefferson Street at Elm Avenue, continued to Campbell Avenue before ending at Williamson Road.
Several different performers took part in the parade, including stilt walkers, Celtic bands, dancers, and multiple different floats.
“Downtown Roanoke really puts on a great performance every year, so this is our favorite thing to do ever since we got here,” Calvin Anthony, a student at Roanoke College, said. “We all go to Roanoke College. It’s a great college in a great city.”
It wasn’t just college students who attended the event, as the Parade has always been known as a family friendly event that parents can bring the kids out to.
“It’s really just a great family event. I bring out my kids, they love the parade,” Ian Hamre said. “The music afterwards is always a blast, especially the Irish music that they play.”
Different St. Patrick’s themed cuisine was made available to the public while almost all attendees wore different shades of green to avoid getting pinched.
“It’s great,” an attendee said. “A lot of people, lot of small vendors selling their own little things, it’s great for everybody.”
