SEATTLE — Two long, pandemic years have passed since a parade marched through downtown Seattle.
But the annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade returned with a wave of green Sunday, just days after two homeless encampments along the route were swept away.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says the timing of this latest encampment sweep is just a coincidence. He said that removing the tents was just part of his plan for the city to get people out of the cold.
But the sweep along 4th Avenue certainly came at a good time for this long-delayed parade.
It seemed that almost everybody in downtown Seattle was a little bit Irish on this overcast Sunday before Saint Patrick’s Day.
After all, it has been two long years since anyone has seen this around here, including the Seafair Pirates.
“I feel amazing!” exclaimed pirate Lance English. “This is our first parade in two years. We’re dying. We’re ready to get out there and have a blast.”
And in that, he has plenty of company.
“Oh, this is so much fun to be back in a parade again,” agreed Heather Fleischman, dressed as Star Wars’ Princess Leia. “We’re all so excited. It’s just wonderful to see everybody back together again. Seeing Seattle back out here for a parade again, it’s fantastic.”
“I guess, people coming out and celebrating,” said Kelsey Burgess, Kent. “So, I thought that was cool. Yeah.”
There wasn’t much celebrating on the parade route Wednesday. That’s when the city made good on its plan three weeks late to remove the homeless encampments across from Seattle City Hall.
This was four days before the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Harrell said the timing of the encampment sweep had nothing to do with Irish luck. He insists it’s all about housing those without a home.
“And I need everyone to know we’re doing it with compassion,” said Harrell. “We’re going to find the resources to build housing and create the one Seattle that I only dreamt about as a child. So, here’s a good day, and we’ve got some good weather to celebrate our Irish brothers and sisters. The luck of the Irish is with us today, baby.”
There were a couple of tents still on 4th Avenue, north of City Hall. But the parade continued right past them.