Towns all over the Hudson Valley from Westchester to points north have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with their own local parades. Many of those parades take place before the big one in New York City — this gives revelers a chance to enjoy the city festivities as well as their local parade, and many of the participants, especially the bands, to do the same.

On Sunday March 10 I took in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County. I was amazed at the number and variety of participating groups — bagpipe and other bands, high schools, schools of Irish dance, churches, all manner of vintage cars, public services such as the police, Fire Departments, EMS, all marching down the main street and cheered on by the enthusiastic onlookers in a parade that lasted one and a half hours. Little kids, big kids, even the dogs were wearing green! A great day for the Irish and the Irish wannabees of Eastchester and the surrounding towns of lower Westchester.

Here are some photos.

Vintage cars took part

and wagons drawn by Heavy Horses took part.

Boy Scouts …

… and Brownies.

High schools marched, such as Cardinal Hayes here, proudly bearing their banners.

The vendors were kept busy. Everyone wanted something green!