Beautiful Weather Marks 2016 Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Thousands lined New Falls Road to celebrate Irish heritage by attending the annual Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday.

While the parade was cancelled last year due to rain, marchers and parade-goers were rewarded this year with warm temperatures and sunny skies.

People came from all over the area to watch the parade, including Bensalem, Penndel, Newtown and every neighborhood in Levittown.

“I think that this parade is when Bristol Township and Falls Township come together for a day of fun,” said Vice President of Bristol Township Council Amber Longhitano. She added that the parade is a fun way to celebrate a day where everyone is Irish.

“Its fun for the kids,” said Kelly Taylor of the Junewood section of Levittown. Taylor has been bringing her kids to the parade for about five years.

Not everybody who was enjoying the festivities planned on the parade when they woke up on Saturday. Nikole Koreck and Scott Foster live on Wister Road, right where the parade began to dissipate, but they didn’t know when the parade was going to happen. “There’s nothing like waking up to a surprise St. Patty’s Day parade, but we’re sure glad we’re here,” they said.

The theme of the 2016 parade was “Honor the Police” and included a number of area town’s police departments.

The parade was led by Grand Marshal Maggie Lorady, a resident of Falls Township. The certified Irish dance teacher and former paraprofessional at the Pennsbury School District is the daughter of a military police officer, married to a deputy constable and mother to a police officer. She also serves as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Frances Cabrini Parish.

Overall, the parade appeared to be a success for those marching, as well as those in attendance.