Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day Parade returns with plenty of first timers along the route

COVID-19 took away Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2020 and 2021 and Clevelanders were thrilled to see it return Thursday.

Cleveland's first St. Patrick's Day Parade happened 180 years ago, but for a good number of people in attendance, the 2022 parade was their first Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade. First-timers included Yolanda Frazier of Euclid, who watched the parade during her lunch break.

“I’ve seen some of it on TV,” Frazier said. “Just glad to see all the people. I haven’t seen a crowd like this in a long time.”

 Christina Lloyd and Yolanda Frazier both came to the parade for the first time. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

Frazier said she was dragged to the parade by her friend Christina Lloyd of Sheffield Lake.

It was also Lloyd’s first time at the parade. She said she was a little more excited for it than in years past because she’s excited to see people less concerned about COVID-19.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade ran down Superior Avenue. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

“I didn’t like the masks and all that. I was just ready for us to be back to normal and everybody can just do their thing like they used to do,” Lloyd said.

Purshottam Agrawal is visiting Cleveland from India and just arrived a few days ago. He’ll be in Northeast Ohio for the next month. He said the parade was a lot of fun.

Purshottam and Vimla Agrawal are visiting Cleveland from India. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

“Very good,” Agrawal said. “I’m seeing it for the first time, so honestly I can’t say what was to be expected of this.”

Dorothea Armstead, who is glad to see the number of COVID-19 cases down, came up from Canton to see the parade for the first time.

“I like it. I really like it. I like the energy, all the energy of everybody, and I’m really glad at least we got the numbers down, we’re all able to be out here and really enjoy the city of Cleveland,” Armstead said.

Dorothea Armstead came to the parade from Canton to see her son march with the Canton McKinley High School Band. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

Armstead came to the parade to see her son play the snare drum for the Canton McKinley High School Marching Band.

Jillian Selvey, a Cleveland State junior from Sandusky, didn’t get an opportunity to see the parade her first two years of college.

Jillian Selvey (bottom row, second from the right) came with a group of Cleveland State University students. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

“I’m having a blast,” Selvey said. “It’s so much fun. Everyone is so friendly.”

Of course there were plenty of St. Patrick’s Day parade veterans in attendance.

Mary McElligott has been coming to the parade for more than forty years and she said it felt like a part of her was missing the last two St. Patrick’s Days without a parade.

“It’s great. It’s wonderful. It’s a beautiful day. It’s nice to see everybody out and about. It’s nice to see Cleveland alive and well,” McElligott said.

Emily Ivers of Brecksville, who came downtown with her husband and three kids enjoyed sitting under the sunny sky and in the mid-60 degree weather.

Emily Ivers and her family from Brecksville. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

“We were super excited with the beautiful weather, being vaccinated and out of our COVID quarantines. Couldn’t enjoy a more beautiful day outside,” Ivers said.

Perhaps no one was more excited for the return than Carolyn and Annie Lloyd, twin sisters from North Royalton, who regularly treat St. Patrick’s Day Parade as their birthday party.

The Lloyd twins brought a group of fans to the parade to celebrate their birthday. [Gabriel Kramer / Ideastream Public Media]

“It’s so much fun. I haven’t had this much fun in two years. It’s the best birthday yet,” Carolyn said.

The Lloyd twins turned 23 on Thursday.

“We haven’t been to the parade in a couple years so it’s nice to be back and it’s a good steady birthday plan,” Annie said.

The parade ran from East 18th Street to Public Square in Downtown Cleveland.

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