Whether you're Irish by blood, or just honorarily, March 17th is a day to celebrate.
"I'm celebrating Saint Patrick's day because I'm Irish, I do have red hair," said Renee Logan of Erie.
"I'm Irish for the day," said Cathy Thompson- Brown, co-owner of TJ's Tavern on East 12th Street.
For many, the day traditionally requires hitting the bars.
"We're going to Molly brannigan's first and maybe Parkplace," said Gannon student Perin Bachra, who was out celebrating with friends.
"We plan on starting at the Plymouth," said Lisa Oberacker of Erie. "I'm hoping to have a lot of green beer today."
Some partiers were a little more ambitious with their schedule.
"The plan is to move down State Street to every bar possible," said Logan.
"I'll probably hit up every single bar after this," said Gannon student Eddie Lee, who our crews met up with at Molly Brannigan's.
There was no shortage of time to check off every stop on the list.
"The best part is it's 11, but it's 11 a.m., not p.m.," said Lee.
It was an especially early start for those working the bars. "The staff started off between 5:15 and 6 o'clock," said Mike Oconnor, managing partner of Molly Brannigan's. They opened their doors at 7:00 a.m.
"We had a line out the door waiting for breakfast," said Oconnor.
The Irish pub was ready for the bus loads who came decked in their most festive green garb.
"It's been a great season and a wonderful holiday," said Oconnor. "we couldn't have asked for anything more than this. Cold weather or not, Erie showed that they want to celebrate."
The chilly weather was offset by the warm Irish spirit of the day.
"Everyone's so friendly," said Bachra, "everyone's opening doors for each other and buying each other drinks."
"People get together, families, workers, cousins, neighbors," said Thomas-Brown.
Lilly Broadcasting wished you a safe and happy Saint Patrick's Day.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WICU. All Rights Reserved.
