Spring just isn’t the same without the usual St. Patrick’s Day parades in the local area.

For me it was a yearly ritual. I’d prep my 1890 highwheel for parade season and it kicked off my year of festivals and fun.

I took part in St. Pat’s parades for decades, both in the local area and beyond.

I helped to lead off Girardville’s first St. Pat’s parade in 2004 and every year thereafter.

It grew to be billed as “The Best and Biggest Little St. Patrick’s Day Parade This Side of the Atlantic.”

And they weren’t kidding.

The town has a population of 1,300. On parade day, 50,000 came to watch.

In fact, former President Bill Clinton marched in the event in 2008. I remember it well because I was positioned behind him.

That annual event hasn’t taken place since 2023 due to a lack of volunteers, rising costs and organizational issues.

For one, the town has since disbanded its police force. How do you guarantee security for crowds without your local police?

The multiyear pandemic dealt a blow to many community events. It’s another reason why some St. Pat’s parades fell by the wayside.

But other issues, too, make St. Pat’s parades tough to coordinate.

March weather can be a beast, sometimes serving up the most crippling blizzards. If not snow, then there’s dismal rain.

That’s what happened in 2006 in Jim Thorpe

I was ready to shove off in the line of march on a seemingly dry day when suddenly heavy rain hit.

I still took part and completed the event.

It was a memorable experience to ride 6 feet high along narrow Broadway, pelted by rain, as crowds drank beer and jockeyed for position.

The Jim Thorpe parade was a big event for a long time, but closed down before the pandemic, ending in 2018 after a lively 21-year run.

Other parades are still stepping off, although not as big as they used to be.

The Allentown parade will take place in the West End on March 22. I rode in that one a few times many years ago. It’s pleasant, low-key and a family-oriented day.

The granddaddy of all St. Pat’s parades in our region is in Scranton. It drew a raucous attendance of 150,000.

It’s still taking place and is televised live, although crowds are not as large as they were 25 years ago.

I stopped participating but only after having done it for many years.

In fact, in 2012 my small band of antique bicycle enthusiasts, The Victorian Highwheelers, won the Jim Egan Memorial Award. It’s presented to a group whose participation is especially noteworthy and valued.

We’re in good company. Past recipients have been the Scranton Fire Department, the Penn York Highlanders and the Washington, D.C., Showstoppers.

That year, the parade stepped off from St. Peter’s Cathedral, as usual, and included more than 150 units, 23 bands, mummers, 15 pipe bands and over 12,000 marchers.

It was billed as the second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country.

While not taking part in the March parades, my riding passion continues. I still jump onto the vintage machine for centennial parades and heritage events.

Not many others do it. And of those who do, very few are past age 70. I have no plans to stop.

This year might be busier than ever with America’s 250th anniversary. I look forward to it.

Meanwhile, I have fond memories of those early spring “Irish parades.”