BUTTE — No parade, no problem.
Butte still found a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day despite it’s annual parade being canceled due to the pandemic. Though the crowds were much smaller than previous years, the enthusiasm was still high.
“It’s very important to keep the tradition up. A lot of things have tried to stop St. Patrick’s Day in Butte, this isn’t the first thing, and they’ve done a great job of coming out today,” said Butte resident Mike Patterson.
Some people came from as far as Great Falls to check out St. Patrick’s Day in Butte.
“Yeah, I’ve never been here before for this, and I heard it was amazing. It’s great, I love all the people and all the dressing up, it’s fun,” said Linda Engen of Great Falls.
Many businesses owners did not know what to expect and were surprised by the turnout.
“It’s been busy since Friday, a lot of people coming in, a lot of people were here Saturday from all over the state,” said Cavanaugh’s County Celtic owner Monica Evans.
St. Patrick’s Day greeted Butte with plenty of warm sunshine.
“Yeah, so nice, I know, sometimes I’ve been up here and it’s snowing,” said Marc Cutler of Butte.
After a year of dealing with the pandemic, many people seemed to be eager to get out.
“I think it’s time, I think there’s plenty of vaccinations out there. I think, you know, the ones who feel safe are out and about and the ones who don’t feel safe, they’re still staying home and that’s perfect, you know, that’s understandable,” said M&M Bar owner Selina Pankovich.
