OCEAN CITY, Md. - Everyone's a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so the saying goes.
But the luck of the Irish hasn't been seen on full display in Ocean City for four years.
The town's annual St. Patrick's Day parade, one of the biggest celebrations in the Eastern Shore town, and considered the unofficial start to the busy visitor season, has been cancelled the past three years - twice because of COVID, and once because of poor weather.
On Friday afternoon, visitors from all over the East Coast were descending on Ocean City hoping this year's parade goes off without a hitch.
"It's just the joy you get from it. It's enjoyable. It's a good time, it's fun to watch. Seeing everybody have a good time," said Krystal Trout and Casey Short, both visiting from Lancaster, Penn.
The weather forecast for Saturday isn't shaping up to be the best, with some folks concerned about how it might affect the parade, but the parade chairman says it's time to bring the event back.
"Yes, we're going to have a parade; I'm not changing my mind, I'm very optimistic," said Buck Mann of the Delmarva Irish-American Club, which organizes the parade.
Mann mentioned that this year's parade has 81 floats registered, and that they will be surefire crowd-pleasers.
But rain or not, it's always rainbows and four-leaf clovers for one parade goer from York Springs, Penn.
"It would be a downer, but at the same time, there's enough bars to keep me occupied," said Duane Wolf.
And pre-parade visitor turnout has boardwalk business feeling like they've found a pot of gold.
"It pretty much sets the record, sets the bar on how things are going to go for the season," said Brad Wells, manager of Bull by the Beach. "[This year is] looking pretty good," he continued.
Saturday's parade is scheduled to kick off at 12 o'clock and will follow the southbound lanes of Coastal Highway from about 60th Street to just past the 45th Street review stand.
