BUTTE - With COVID-19 case numbers decreasing, the St. Patrick’s day festivities in Butte are returning in full force after being gone due to high infection rates for two years.
"This is the first time in a couple of years we were able to do it and we’re looking forward to getting back at it and seeing a bunch of smiling faces on St. Patrick’s Day." said Matthew Boyle, the Butte America Foundation Parades director.
More than 40 floats have been signed up to be part of the parade. The county will be closing several streets in uptown Butte starting at 6 am.
"Just about most of the parade route to the public and anything else within the vicinity so sections of Main street will be blocked off, as well as park street and we’re doing that to maintain a safe environment for everyone," said Boyle.
The parade will start here near Lexington gardens, go up to Granite Street all the way toward the courthouse, go down Montana Street, turn on Park Street and end near Arizona Street.
Along with the return of the parade, a new addition has been made to keep people walking through Main street.
"We’re gonna have a bunch of food vendors lined up on Main street in between Park and Broadway streets for the most part so that’ll kind of be one of the newest things people can expect is just a lot of food vendors," said Boyle.
The parade will start at noon on Thursday, March 17.