SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) - The Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade will be held on March 9th in 2013, one week earlier than the holiday.
On Sunday, the parade committee said this change will allow people more time to celebrate than in year’s past.
“They'll get two weekends of people partying and having a great time and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day,” said Janet Higgins, St. Patrick’s Parade Committee President.
It should be a boost for bars and restaurants and could lead to a better parade.
“A lot of the pipe bands go to New York City’s St. Patrick’s weekend so we can get a much larger array of actual pipe bands that won't be participating in New York City so they can come here the week before,” said Higgins.
The parade committee has had trouble raising money for the parade over the past few years. Out of appreciation for changing the date, downtown bars have agreed to hold more fundraisers for the parade.
With more money, committee members hope to bring back an old parade favorite, the band "The Mummers."
“It's just been a difficult struggle and that's one of the big reasons why The Mummers haven't been here. It costs a lot of money to bus them from Philadelphia so hopefully maybe this year with all the fundraising we're doing we'll be able to seal the deal,” said Higgins.
This year, the parade had to share an audience with SU basketball as the Orange took on Kansas State. In 2013, be prepared to see a sea of green and orange again during the parade as SU plays its regular-season finale on March 9th at Georgetown. Tipoff is at noon.
