South Side Irish Parade Organizers Hope to Continue Zero Arrest Trend

Organizers of Chicago's South Side Irish Parade -- previously known for its rowdy celebrations and open drinking -- said they hope to continue a trend they've seen for the last two years: zero arrests.

It's an annual event that earned a reputation for wild shenanigans. Fifty-four people were arrested during the 2009 parade, prompting officials to cancel it for the following two years. It returned in 2012 with a "zero tolerance" policy on alcohol.

"There's no alcohol served along the parade route, or people bringing alcohol along the parade is strictly prohibited. In fact, if you get caught, there's a fine involved," said parade treasurer George Nedved.

Preparations for the parade were already in full swing by midday Friday, with banners  on posts, barricades at the ready and crews from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications installing some surveillance cameras.

The parade steps off Sunday at 12 p.m. from 103rd and proceed down Western Avenue to 115th Street. Complete parade information is posted to SouthSideIrishParade.org.

(function() { function async_load_poll() { var exscript_poll_script = document.createElement("script"), head = document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]; exscript_poll_script.type = "text/javascript"; exscript_poll_script.src = "https://www.excitem.com/nbc/s_embed.php?id=3895"; head.appendChild(exscript_poll_script); } if (window.attachEvent) { window.attachEvent("onload", async_load_poll); } else { window.addEventListener("load", async_load_poll, false); }})();