Sunday March at noon kicks off the 31st Southside Irish Parade . In the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods of Chicago, it is a day when everyone is Irish! It is a day when everyone celebrates and it is a day for a lot of fun!  It does not matter what ones ethnicity or religion is this week–All are welcome for fin times on the South Side! This parade is great fun! The parade was founded by a group of  families  (1979) who lived on  the 109th block of S. Washtenaw and Talman streets. They are now referred to as the ”Wee Folks of Washtenaw” . These families and their kids began their own parade, simply marching around the block each year until it grew in 1981 to its current route, down Western Avenue from 103rd Sreet to 115th Street where Western Avenue moves between the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods.  The parade is usually the Sunday before or the Sunday of St. Patrick’s Day every year. This year it is early because of Palm Sunday. It has been said that the South Side Irish Parade is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade’s outside of Ireland. It is also usually larger than the official downtown Chicago Parade the Saturday before… Oh, that is today! Anyway, it gives the Irish a whole week or month to celebrate Irish heritage. The Beverly Arts Center has Irish Film Fests and BAPA the Beverla Area Planning Association sponsors many events. Local Catholic and Protestant Churches hold gatherings, special services and masses. The entire neighborhood is decorated in green with splashes of orange and white. The aroma of corn beef and cabbage abounds. It is important to mention that there is a family side of the parade route (East Side) and the party or bar side of the street (West Side). The two sides do blend together a bit, but the rowdy crowds are usually on the bar side of the street.  This is mostly because there is a city ordnance about alcohol and bars only being allowed on the West side of the street. There is to be a vote soon to see if the neighborhood will allow alcohol to be sold between Longwood Drive and Walden Parkway, but that is another day…

It is also a day when a lot of Celtic (pronounced Kell-Tic) music is heard throughout the neighborhood. A lot of pipe bands both Irish and Scottish play in the parade. A lot of HS Marching Bands. A lot of politicians. A lot of people. And of course, the South Side Irish Song. Even though representations of all of Ireland and the world are present at the parade; and even though many races andreligions are present at the parade and the parishes of the community are different than the orginal song, it is sung by most everyone!

Here are the lirics:Written by Tom Black and Terry McEldowney

We’re the Windy City Irish-where the craic is always best
Where every day is Paddy’s Day and everyone’s a guest
If you’re Irish on the North Side or Irish on the West
Welcome to the South Side come join our Irish Fest!
(Chorus) We’re the South Side Irish as our fathers were before
We come from the Windy City and we’re Irish to the core
From Bridgeport to Beverly from Midway to South Shore
We’re the South Side Irish-Let’s sing it out once more!
Our parents came from Mayo, from Cork and Donegal.
We come from Sabina, St. Kilian’s and St. Gall
St. Leo, Visitation, Little Flower and the rest.
The South Side parishes are mighty-they’re the best!

Chorus
We live on the South Side-Mayor Daley lived here too
The Greatest Irish Leader that Chicago ever knew
he was always proud of his South Side Irish roots!
So here’s to Hizzonor to his memory we’ll be true.

Chorus
We sing the songs our fathers sang when they were growing up
Rebel songs of Erin’s Isle in South Side Irish Pubs
and when it comes to baseball-we have two favorite clubs
The Go-Go White Sox… and whoever plays the Cubs!