No South Side Irish Parade in 2010
By Kalyn Belsha in News on Mar 25, 2009 6:00PM
Kate Gardiner/Chicagoist
According to the committee's press release, the parade's increasingly large attendance size in addition to resources needed to control the crowd and fund the event have "become overwhelming to the community." The parade along Western Avenue was started in 1979 by two families as a way for residents to show their Irish pride, but has since transformed into an international event that attracts over 300,000 participants each year.
"While we regret the need to alter such a fine tradition, the Committee feels that suspending the South Side Irish Parade in its present form is the just and responsible thing to do," said the planners in their press release. "It is our hope, however, that this will not mean an end to the neighborhood's annual celebration. The Committee will work to create a series of alternate events that will return us to what the parade's founders had in mind - a neighborhood-friendly celebration of Irish heritage."
The committee will release more details about these alternative events later this year. [S-T]
Check out our pictures of this year's parade here.