ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The annual Quad City St. Patrick's Day parade made a return on Saturday, August 29 after being postponed in March 2021.
The parade was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID kind of put a damper on the regular St. Patrick's Day, this is kind of Christmas in July but August," Stern Center owner Bill Healy said.
The parade started in Rock Island on 3rd Avenue and ended in Davenport.
Despite the hot weather, many parade attendees said they wouldn't miss it.
“This is a great event," parade attendee Anjel Tweet said. "And I know not everybody's Irish. Am am I Irish? No. But I'll tell you what, I'm going to be here every year.”
“We love it. We love the music, we love the floats, we love the beverages, we love the camaraderie," parade attendee Josh Paul said. "We come down with friends and just like to support the Quad Cities."
Healy says the parade attendance was lower than expected, but suggests it was because of the change of date.
“Obviously we would like to hope for more but you know any anytime we can get some people out in downtown Rock Island and in downtown Davenport, it's a good thing," Healy said.
The next St. Patrick's Day parade is expected to be on schedule for March 2022.