Despite slightly chilly temperatures and ice lingering from the recent snowstorm, a crowd of Denver citizens donned their best green outfits and hit downtown on Saturday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 

The parade — celebrating its 62nd year being hosted by the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee — started at the corner of 19th and Wynkoop streets before turning left on 17th Street around 9:30 a.m. It then traveled to Blake Street and marched all the way to 27th Street before ending at the Coors Field parking lot.

Floats from various businesses, groups of bands, dancers and green-garnished volunteers tossing out beads lined the streets, helping bring in the spring festivities spearheaded by the parade. 

The event is the longest St. Patrick’s Day parade west of the Mississippi River, according to the committee. It usually involves more than 10,000 marchers and 200 entrants — from police departments to marching bands and breweries. It was started by the committee in 1962.

This year’s parade was sponsored by Bellco Credit Union. The credit union has sponsored the event for 16 years. It also involved nearly 300 volunteers helping make the fun happen.

“The committee is a charitable organization with each and every one of its committed volunteers having a deep love for the Irish culture and sharing that sense of pride with the entire Denver community with year-round efforts, culminating with the parade day event,” the committee said on its website.

The holiday festivities kicked off on Thursday, despite the snow. The City of Denver changed the street sign of Blake Street to Tooley Street in honor of former Denver District Attorney and known Irishman Dale Tooley. 

The “changing of the sign” event is usually accompanied by a painted green line down the street, but the winter weather halted that part of the tradition.

Plenty of Irish-based festivities take off after the parade has ended and move into the actual holiday on Sunday. A list of those parties and activities can be viewed here.