NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – It will be another cold day for people heading to the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday. It steps off at 1:30 on Chapel Street at Sherman Avenue. It continues down Chapel Street toward the Green, down Church Street, then ends at Grove and Orange Streets.
Local Irish pubs are getting ready. Parade Day and St. Patrick’s Day are the two busiest days for Anna Liffey’s. The restaurant is expected to be full. Staff have been preparing for weeks.
“Right now we’re just tying up odds and ends, making sure the kitchen’s all set up and everything’s ready,” said Patrick Mansfield, owner of Anna Liffey’s.
The kitchen is getting more than 600 pounds of corned beef ready. The hot food will be especially popular this year, since Sunday will be chilly.
“For Anna Liffey’s [the cold weather] doesn’t bother us,” said Christopher Liscio, general manager of Anna Liffey’s. “We have two floors that are totally full and we have outside with tents with full heat so it’s not going to bother us at all.”
Many bars and restaurants in the city will have heated tents set up outside on Sunday.
“We never cancel [the parade] here,” said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp. “Just wear your long johns, your hat, your gloves and you’ll have a great time.”
Despite the cold weather, the parade will march on. Officials want to remind everyone to plan ahead.
“They should have warm socks, warm coats, warm hats and limit their time outside,” said Officer David Hartman of the New Haven Police Department.
The weather will not be enough to stop the celebration of everything Irish, no matter what Mother Nature brings.
“We’ve kind of seen everything actually,” said Mansfield. “We’ve seen hurricane winds, a lot of crazy rain.”
