At least it wasn’t last Saturday, as I made my way to Jeffersonville, NY and the town’s annual salute to all things green, aka the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The hard part? Forty-mile-per-hour wind gusts, 30-degree temps (wasn’t it 70 just a couple of days ago?) and a wee bit o’ snow to start the day off, before a single bagpipe could be heard echoing throughout the not-yet-green hills of the Upper Delaware River region.

That said, I put a parka on the dog (don’t judge!), put air in the tires of her stroller (ahem) and steeled myself for photographing what looked to be a brisk day for a march down Main Street, which was replete with floats, pipes and drums, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, along with “Horses, Dogs and Leprechauns” (Attorneys at Law).

As is my custom, Gidget and I arrived early in order to decorate her you-know-what and mentally prepare myself for darting in and out of the street, dodging between vehicles, and staying out of harm’s way. Kids shrieked with glee as candy rained down upon them from the many fire trucks and flatbeds, which were festooned with shamrocks, rainbows and pots o’ gold. 

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I’m not Irish, but as many of you know, I love me a good parade and Jeffersonville was, as always, at the top of its game last weekend. 

Sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (like ‘em on the Facebook) and with massive support from the wonderful folks who make up the Jeffersonville Fire Department, the parade went off without a hitch and thankfully, that big yellow ball in the sky made an appearance, causing the mercury to rise to a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s said that “everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” and I’ve heard that they are a hardy clan, so it came as no surprise that folks came out in droves to line the streets and enjoy the parade—bundled up, but decked out in green nonetheless. 

One of the things that makes Jeff’s parade a standout among the rest is (IMHO) the “color commentary” provided by JP Graham and Jim Farrell, who are always highly entertaining and equally informative, as they share fun facts about the floats, the groups, and the vintage cars and fire trucks snaking their way down Main Street before the parade passes by.

Notables, like this year’s grand marshal, Duke Devlin, paused in front of the booth while Farrell and Graham shared banter about the who, what, where and when, all the while holding court ensconced within the (warm) confines of the parade route trailer. How nice for them.

The guys shared tidbits of information about the various groups, bagpipers, equestrians and businesses participating, while the crowds cheered and I snapped pics, along with other photogs in the region. It’s often those pictures that really tell the whole story, so I’ll stop typing now and include some of the snapshots here. For more, follow us on the Facebook and Instagram to like, tag and share. It may not be easy being green, but spring officially begins this week, so “sure and begorrah” the weather is bound to improve! 

Fun Fact: The song “It’s Not Easy Being Green” was written by Joe Raposo, and was originally performed by Jim Henson (as Kermit the Frog) on “Sesame Street.”