Thomas MacMillan Photo
Even St. Patrick himself carried an umbrella as his parade marched through a rainstorm on Sunday.
New Haven’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade had a wet reception on Sunday, with persistent rain falling on the thousands of marchers and spectators. Parade chairman Walter J. Nester, Jr. nevertheless declared it “a perfect day.” He said he was pleased with how many people braved the damp weather to join the parade.
Police also reported that the parade went smoothly. New Haven police had promised a crackdown on public drinking this year. While there were pockets of drunken revelry, blatant sidewalk drinking was noticeably absent from the parade.
Chairman Nester said that 160 units were expected to march in this year’s parade, totaling over 3,000 marchers. Although some may have decided not to march, there were still enough fife and drum squads, bagpipers, step-dancers, floats, and marching bands to provide hours of spectacle.
Peter Ortoleva (pictured above) Milford’s very own St. Patrick, was near the front of the parade. He had a black umbrella fixed to the top of his staff. Ortoleva, who’s half Irish and half Italian, has been leading Milford’s St. Patrick’s day parade (next Sunday) for 13 years now, ever since a “little old lady” roped him into it and made him his costume.
Others marched without umbrellas, including these two leprechauns.
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro was soaked by the end of the parade.
Some Irish step-dancers stayed warm with their traditional Irish sweaters.
Spectators took shelter wherever they could, standing in doorways on Chapel Street …
… or huddled in bus shelters on Church Street.
As the parade entered downtown, the sidewalks filled up. The corner of Temple and Chapel Streets was one of the few spots on the parade route where visibly intoxicated revelers had gathered. Two police officers were keeping a close eye on the crowd and occasionally moving them back onto the sidewalk. While there were no beer bottles in sight, most members of the crowd had cups in their hands.
The officers tangled twice with Zach Anzel, a Branford resident who was drinking beer right from the bottle. Police asked him to get rid of the beer and move down the street.
Anzel was celebrating his 23rd birthday by wearing a special green T‑shirt made for him by his brother. Despite having his “balls broken” by the police, Anzel said, he was enjoying the parade. He ran out several times to shake hands as marchers went by.
A reviewing station was set up in front of City Hall. Mayor John DeStefano stood with past parade grand marshals, watching the procession.
A group of Celtic storm troopers, including a TIE fighter pilot, passed by.
As the parade wrapped up, and the celebration moved to New Haven’s bars, Lt. Thaddeus Reddish said that the parade had gone smoothly from a policing perspective. Police spokesman Officer Joe Avery later said police made six arrests for public drinking along the parade route.
Later, 6 p.m. on Crown Street looked something like 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The sidewalks outside the streets many bars were overrun with inebriated young people wearing green. T‑shirts read, “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced” and “Today I’m Irish. Tomorrow I’ll be hungover.”
There was a heavy police presence on Crown Street. One cop stationed on Crown later reported that the evening had gone well. There were no major incidents, he said. The city’s public relations campaign regarding the crackdown on public drinking seemed to have worked, he said.
Avery said about 20 people were arrested on Crown Street for disorderly conduct and breach of peace after the parade.
Why are kids getting tanked at the many bars in the Parade area perfectly OK, but having a couple of beers from your own cooler is deemed "Verboten" ?
If sobriety and family fun are to be the emphasis, the many bars in the area should be closed during the Parade and for a couple of hours thereafter, and they might be allowed to charge a reasonable fee for use of their restrooms.
The current ban, coupled with the lax enforcement in the bar areas, as shown by your pictures is unfair and ineffective.