GIRARDVILLE - Thousands of people lined the borough streets Saturday for the 11th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
People wore green T-shirts, hats, pants and kilts, and homes were decorated with flags and shamrocks to show the Irish spirit.
This year, the parade was under new leadership as John P. "Mouche" McNelis retired last year as parade chairman.
"The weather worked out nice," Stephen Barrett, parade manager, said.
Barrett and Joseph Wayne, parade chairman, were the men in charge of the annual tradition.
This year's parade was dedicated to the schools in the area.
Students and staff from the Mahanoy Area, North Schuylkill and Shenandoah Valley schools took part in the parade with floats and marching bands.
The new Spartan mascot from North Schuylkill also was in the parade.
"This is the first public appearance of it (the mascot)," Barrett said.
Stanley Rakowsky, Shenandoah Valley School District superintendent, said marching in the parade was a good idea.
"I think it's great. Our kids are part of a tradition here," he said.
Close to 1,000 people and 130 entries were in the parade, Barrett said. Among the entries were the Hawk Mountain Highlanders who played bagpipes, various fire companies and the Rajah Shrine Clowns of Reading.
A total of 30 awards were presented after the parade, with Mahanoy Area receiving the honor of best overall entry.
Barrett estimated between 20,000 to 25,000 spectators attended the parade.
Members of the Troutman family enjoyed the day. About 20 of them came to the parade.
"We started coming here three years ago because our roots are here," Meg Troutman Nielson, 60, of Erie, said. Her father, Forrest "Wayne" Troutman, a borough native, is buried not far away.
Sandy Tunnessen and her husband, Bill, Hazelton, came with their dogs, Lukas and Rhea, both German shepherds.
"This is their first Girardville parade," Sandy Tunnessen said. The dogs sported green feather boas around their necks.
"This is just hometown niceness," she said of the parade.
She spotted five people she knew from different locations in the state, she said.
"Everybody just thinks they live here for the day," Sandy said, adding they plan on attending next year's parade.
Keith Oliphant, 51, of Tamaqua, displayed his appreciation for the day by wearing a shirt reading "Real men wear kilts." He said he is Scottish. This is his 10th year attending the parade and was thankful for the nice, sunny weather, even though it was a bit windy.
Michael O'Leary, 65, of Danville, and Hamish McGuigan, 62, Northumberland County, also sported kilts Saturday. They attended the parade with their friend, Wayne Mohr, 62, of Bloomsburg.
"It is these kinds of days that make all of us rejoice in being Irish," O'Leary said. Police: Few incidents after parade
GIRARDVILLE - Three people were charged with public drunkenness and disorderly conduct Saturday after the St. Patrick's Day Parade in the borough.
Girardville police Chief Mel Tomeo said the three people were not borough residents.
Additional information was not available.
The relatively small number of incidents surprised him, he said.
"I'm glad and surprised," he said, adding the police in the borough did a good job.
"We had more problems last year. Everything was very well organized this year," Tomeo said.
As of about 8:50 p.m., he said, however, "the night is not over."