It’s Shamrocks and Sunshine at Annual Parade

The fabled luck of the Irish held Saturday as clouds parted, the sun shone and temperatures rose just in time for the 12th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Hundreds gathered along Main Street in downtown Ventura wearing green caps, leprechaun buttons and shamrock socks.

“This is our day to come out and say, ‘Hip, hip, hooray’ for our heritage,” said Andrew Berry, a fourth-generation Irish American, waving a miniature Irish flag.

The hourlong parade, whose theme was “World Peace in the Millennium,” featured 63 entrants.

Spectators crammed sidewalks between California Street and the Mission San Buenaventura. Many shielded the sun with their hands and crowded into shady places along the road.

The celebration of Irish tradition was evident everywhere, from folk cloggers to costumed Celtic characters.

“They look like princesses,” marveled a wide-eyed Brieann Beath-Russel, 3, as she watched a succession of Irish women in long flowing robes riding horses with white manes and wreaths.

Sitting beside Brieann was her great-grandmother, Billie Omstead, decked out in a green jumpsuit and a straw hat. As the American flag went by, she led her family in standing, hand over heart.

She said she had been coming to the parade for more than 10 years. “I like seeing the children and the Irish dancers and all the music,” she said, as she greeted parade-goers.

Jessica Mindrup, 3, particularly liked parade characters.

From the green wagon in which she sat, Jessica tried to get the attention of a costumed chicken and a walking slice of pizza.

“My favorite was Dr. Evil and Mini-Me,” she said.

One of the most popular entrants was a toe-tapping group of girls in Irish costumes from Ventura’s Claddagh School of Irish Dance. They also performed at the festival in the park after the parade.

The parade grand marshals were state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo) and Joyce Kennedy, former director of the the Ventura campus of Cal State Northridge. Both have Irish ancestry.

The Ventura Elks lodge and the parade committee, made up of local businesses and residents, hosted the family event. After the parade, a festival celebrating Irish lore and St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was held at nearby Mission Park.

Several thousand people attended the Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Saturday, sampling traditional Irish fare of corned beef, while awards for the parade entrants were handed out. About a dozen booths sold trinkets, wood carvings and crafts.

The festival continues today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring Camarillo’s Greenway Academy of Irish Dance and the music of What Happens, performing Irish ballads and folk songs.