Last Of The Parade

 I'm going to end my pics of the St Patrick's Day parade with this shot of yet another bagpipe band. There were a few in the parade. There were also large groups of people from various Irish counties marching and really a lot of people from unions all over the city. Everyone seemed to be having a grand time.

More Great Colours

 I forget which group this was but they put on a good show at the St Patrick's Day parade. They were almost perfectly in sync as they marched along doing a nice routine.

Wonderful Music At The Parade

 Our St Patrick's Day parade is as multi-cultural as our city and one of the star groups in this year's parade for me was the York Lions Steel Band. There is something wonderful about the sound from a steel band. The band is made up of young people from York which is one of the areas of the city and they perform at many events around town. Lucky for them the sun had come out while they were going along Bloor St.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

More Dancers

There were a few Irish Dance school groups marching and dancing in the St Patrick's Day parade. I was near the start of the parade but I bet they were tired by the end and those girls with short sleeves must have been cold as it was a cool windy day.

Bagpipes

There were several bands in the St Patrick's Day parade playing bagpipes. I liked the red kilts worn by this band.

The Fire Hall Dog

There was a huge contingent of Toronto Fire service people marching in the St Patrick's Day parade and they brought their Dalmation dog with them. It was a cool/cold day and so the dog wore 2 coats and a scarf to keep warm. Who could resist the smile on the Fireman's face? 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

The Dancers

These women were part of the Mexican group marching in the St Patrick's Day parade and for most of the parade they were dancing and twirling away but no twirls when they were in front of me. I love the colourful dresses.

Having Fun

The Mexicans seemed to be having a lot of fun as they marched along in the St Patrick's Day parade. I was at the start of the parade and wonder if the energy ran out by the end a few miles later.

A Tribute

 There was a very large group of Mexicans who marched and danced in our St Patrick's Day parade as a tribute to the many Irish who fought with Mexico in the Mexican-American war. They formed the St Patrick Batallion.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Leading Off The Parade

 I went to our St Patrick's Day parade on March 17 and found a good spot near the beginning of the parade for viewing. These handsome police horses and their riders lead off the parade as usual.

Wearing The Green

 There were a lot of dogs in the St Patrick's Day parade wearing the green but these 2 were among the cutest. They were getting much attention from the crowd as they walked along.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from  around the world.

Band In Red

There were several bands in the St Patrick's Day parade and the Philippine Heritage Band was one of the best dressed. It was a large band and they were all in step as they passed by which was impressive. Vaughan is a city made up of several communities that border the north edge of Toronto.

A Band

There were several bands taking part in the St Patrick's Day parade and one of them was this band, the Ayr-Paris Band. Ayr & Paris are towns in southern Ontario and the band is made up of people from the surrounding community and has been playing for many years. I like their nice jackets with the stylized maple leaf on the back.

Working For A Drink

These pedal pubs were in the St Patrick's Day parade but the riders didn't get any treats during their journey.  I think I would rather just go to a pub and sit and relax rather than have to pedal around town for drink. They probably have fun though.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

St Patrick

 St Patrick himself made an appearance at the parade on this float festooned with balloons. He was sitting there at the back. I couldn't see any snakes around him so all was well.

There Were Dragons

There were dragons at the St Patrick's Day parade but at least there were no snakes. And the dragons were green.

Mexican Dancers

 This is just a small part of the large group of Mexican dancers that were in the St Patrick's Day parade. It was a cold day so those guys were lucky to have the nice bright serapes to keep them warm.

Remembering Heroes

There was a very large group of Irish who fought with the Mexicans in the Mexican-American War. So many that they formed their own battalion.  And there was a really large group of Mexicans in costume who marched in the St Patrick's Day parade as a tribute and remembrance.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Colourful Dancers

To go along with the multi-cultural nature of Toronto the St Patrick's Day parade featured groups from many different nationalities. This was a group of very colourful Japanese dancers. It was a cold and windy day so hopefully the dancing kept them warm.

Dancing Keeps You Warm

 I went to the St Patrick's Day parade last Sunday and it was really cold and windy. The sun came out for little bouts of warmth but I felt bad for all of the marchers and dancers especially the kids. This group of kids from an Irish dance school were full of energy at the start of the parade which is where I was standing to view the activities.