Evergreen Park Wants South Side Irish
Mayor mulls over moving parade to his town
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Evergreen Park is feeling lucky.
Could Chicago's South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade be heading to the suburbs? Evergreen Park is mulling over hosting the parade next year, the Sun-Times' Mark Konkol reported.
Evergreen Park certainly sounds Irish enough, but if the town did host the parade, it seems it wouldn't be much like the original. For one, Evergreen Park Mayor James Sexton said he wouldn't allow the "drinking and shenanigans" that led to the South Side Parade getting canceled. Drinking and shenanigans are the reason half the partyers went to the South Side Irish every year -- without them, would it be worth going?
The location of the parade wouldn't be much different, since Sexton is thinking of having it along 95th Street from Pulaski to Francisco. That's only about two miles from where the South Side Irish has been kicking off for decades, at 95th and Western.
The original parade committee said it wants the event to get back to its family-friendly roots -- and they haven't yet announced how they'll change the festivities to make that happen. They also haven't commented on Sexton's idea to move the parade location.
What do you think? Did you go to the parade, and would you follow it to Evergreen Park? Tell us in the comments below.
Posted Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 2:47 PM CST
