Scranton St. Patrick's Day parade, good or avoid? (rental, how much)

[PeeAye Native]

Last year and again this year I hear two entirely different stories, either the parade is good family-friendly fun, (quote from today's Scrantom Times), or it -- and I presume, aimed at the associated partying -- is very bad, not policed well, there's lot's of violence and drunkenness.

The violence and drunkenness comments came directly from the mouths of some commercial and rental property owners in the immediate downtown area. They say it's out of hand in that calls to police get a 'there's nothing we can do response', there is urinating in the streets, lot's of destruction of property, and the complaints go on.

Opinions, who's right? I've never been.

[bsanva]

It is a parade, and my kids enjoy that aspect. They could certainly have more stuff for children, but my children have a good time watching the parade and eating the parade junk food. Police presence is good, and there is little to no violence until after the parade is done.
People get up really early to drink for this event. Then they try to party all day and night. Drinking for that many hours certainly turns plenty of people into rather ugly drunks. By 10 pm the city is actually far more quiet than a normal weekend. Even the Irish pubs are pretty empty pretty early.
So the parade is fine and safe. But there are a few hours in the afternoon and early evening that are not the most pleasant.

[Mr Yuk]

It is not family friendly....well, the parade itself is fine, but the reason this parade is so popular is because its a big drunkfest....the bars open at 7 A.M. and sell 17 cent beer...so you know right off that bat that that's a disaster....lots of people have been drinking for 4 hours or more before the parade even starts. Its closer to Mardi Gras than say, the Scranton Christmas Parade, and you wouldn't take kids to Mardi Gras. That said, you can usually avoid the majority of drunken revelers by staying right by the Mall at Steamtown main entrance on Lackawanna Ave, which is the part of the parade furthest from the bars. We did go there a couple of years ago and it wasn't too bad by the mall...but last year, I had my police scanner on most of the day, and the calls for police to deal with unruly drunks and fights was literally nonstop all day and well into the night. Overall, with kids, I'd say its safest to avoid the parade. The whole point of the day and its popularity is to get falling-down drunk...which does not make it family-friendly.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by PeeAye Native

Last year and again this year I hear two entirely different stories, either the parade is good family-friendly fun, (quote from today's Scrantom Times),

Well the Scranton Times would also have you believe that Chris Doherty is the second coming of Christ and that downtown Scranton is Manhattan West, so you have to take what they say with a grain of salt.

[PODS guy]

good time.

[to570717]

Go Phillies is one opinion that differs from the 100,000 ppl that do show up and enjoy themselves each year.

The Parade is a party for sure but it is also family friendly. Tons of children with their moms and dads all over the place. It is a great event. Do not let one or two people on here scare you away.

I have been going since i was in a stroller.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by to570717

Go Phillies is one opinion that differs from the 100,000 ppl that do show up and enjoy themselves each year.

The Parade is a party for sure but it is also family friendly. Tons of children with their moms and dads all over the place. It is a great event. Do not let one or two people on here scare you away.

I have been going since i was in a stroller.

Like I said...listen to a police scanner...it is not an exaggeration that on parade day, the cops are going nonstop from call to call dealing with drunken idiocy. Yes, there are spots where you can watch the parade with minimal exposure to drunks...in front of the mall...but the reality is that this parade is not a family friendly event, its more of Scranton's version of Mardi Gras. Why do you think so many people show up to this parade as opposed to the Armed Forces and Christmas parades?

If people want to party, that's fine, but it shouldn't start at 7 am. And why don't more Irish people find the stereotype of the "Irish drunk" offensive? If it was an Italian festival where everybody dressed up as mobsters, I could guarantee the Italians wouldn't put up with it...if it was Martin Luther King day and the bars opened up early selling fried chicken and malt liquor, it would cause a nationwide uproar...but to stereotype the Irish as drunken fools is somehow OK. And lost in all of this parade day 17 cent green beer at 7 in the morning is the fact that St. Patrick's Day is a day to celebrate St. Patrick spreading Christianity to Ireland, and I doubt St. Patrick was double-fisting green beer. "Green beer" is an American bastardization anyways. There is no way to make goat pee like Miller Lite into anything remotely Irish, no matter how much green food coloring you put in it.

You can say its a family event, but I think its only fair to warn someone with kids who has never been there that the day is basically a big beer party that starts early in the morning, which is why supposedly 100,000 people show up. If it wasn't for the booze, there wouldn't even be a third of that number.

[Riverside4ever]

$5 drink tickets ,, Its a ripp if you only drink beer ..

Its great if you drink , Long Island Iced Tea's

Bring an umbrella


Cheers

[kinpa]

I think it is something everyone should see at least once. Scranton's parade began in 1862, it is one of the longest running parades in the U.S. It is also one of the most popular parades. You can always find a nice spot to watch it from, just try not to park yourself in front of a bar. I grew up on Long Island and every parade I ever went to (which was many) was filled with a lot of drunk people. Usually parades celebrate holidays and holidays make many American's want to party and get drunk. Sometimes problems occur but as I said before, you can avoid them. Most people who go have no troubles at all.

[johnqpublic]

Go Phillies is correct in that the parade is more like Mardi Gras, but there are plenty of empty places along the route that are well away from most of the bars and trouble if you want to take kids. The parade itself isnt all that much fluff.. there are lots of commercial vehicles {packmasters backhoes etc.}etc. that really arent decorated along with the entertaining stuff.
I have had a float in the parade the last several years, so I get to see the route in its entirety. There is no way there are 100,000 people there... thats just a feel good fuzzy number put out by the media and politicians..I guarantee you if it rains there will be less than 2000 people along the route, not counting the participants..