Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade held Saturday

Everyone loves a parade, as the saying goes, and thousands turned out for the annual St. Patrick’s Day event Saturday in Colorado Springs.

Organizers hoped for a record crowd of more than 30,000 as spectators enjoyed springlike weather and a festive atmosphere downtown.

This was the 31st time the parade rolled down Tejon Street since it began in 1984.

The parade’s grand marshal this year was the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, which celebrates its 50th anniversary. A UCCS float led the 107 groups participating in the parade.

Organizers held two other events — a 5K run and a bike ride — before the noon parade. Both were well-attended.

“Those events bring in a lot of people from out of town who spend money here,” said Joe Poch, the event manager.

Among the visitors was Marilyn Laughlin of Pueblo. She and her two grandsons attended the parade for the first time.

“After the parade, the boys want to get a hamburger downtown,” she said. “Then we’re going to Acacia Park.”

That’s what parade organizers and downtown business owners love to hear.