St. Patrick's Day festivities start early in Boston
At the Black Rose in downtown Boston, the music is loud, the Guinness is flowing, and spirits are high. A Monday St. Patrick's Day means four days of festive fun - starting with a 'slainte' on Friday night.
"This is the place to be! St. Patrick's Day weekend, we love it here. We come every year!" said Sue Doyle.
Of course, the weekend highlight - happens in the heart of South Boston. And leading up to the big parade Sunday, you don't have to look far for a green beer or corned beef, creatively served.
"This is kind of the calm before the storm. It'll start tonight and take us straight through, probably to Tuesday morning. It will be a line around the corner from the moment we open until we close. It's going to be an insane day," said Chris McGee who manages operations at The Broadway and The Playwright.
South Boston parade starts earlier
Insanely fun, or insanely memorable - sure, but city leaders and parade organizers hope to keep things under control. The parade will step off at 11:30 Sunday morning - an hour and a half earlier than years past.
Police will be watching for public drinking and underage riders bringing alcohol on the MBTA. And Sunday evening, Southie bars will stop serving early.
Jack Doherty with College Hype has been supplying Southie neighbors with their green parade gear for 25 years, giving him a front row seat to the rich traditions, and rowdy celebrations.
"We'll see how it goes. Last year was a little crazy so we had to move around. We'll see what happens," Doherty said. "Hopefully Sunday is a nice happy and healthy day for everybody."
