Irish spirit alive in Yulan

Despite rain, parade a success

By LISA CUTRONI

YULAN, NY — April showers may bring flowers, but March rains seem to bring throngs of people to Yulan—for the 35th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Spectators, with umbrellas in hand and spirit in their hearts, arrived well before the 1:00 p.m. parade starting time on March 12 to participate in the pre-parade festivities.

There was music provided by the Swing Shift Orchestra of Wurtsboro and a flute and guitar duet by Erin Slaver and her father, John Slaver, of Liberty. And of course, there was green—a lot of it. Everything from green Mardi Gras beads to green hats to the large green-painted shamrock at the intersection of Yulan could be seen.

During the festivities it rained—sometimes a sprinkle, sometimes big, cold drops. But, in what could be explained as the luck of the Irish, the rain stopped when Bobby O’Neill, parade announcer, called out the familiar “Up Yulan” to signal the start of the parade.

“I think it went very well considering the weather wasn’t really cooperating. There was a good turnout,” Lisa Donnelly, a member of the parade committee, said.

The parade committee gave out first-, second- and third-place prizes to parade participants in each of three categories: best float, most original float, and best marching band.

For best float, “Pot of Gold” created by Norm G. Sutherland, son of Norm Sutherland, Highland Highway Superintendent, took first place. The Eldred Preserve, along with Thunder 102, a local radio station, and the Monticello Raceway, took second, while Girl Scout Troop 289 took third.

For most original, March of the Irish Penguins came in first, Lushy Leprechauns second and the Eldred Central School Little Shop of Horrors, third.

And for best marching band, The Broomstreet Traveling All-Stars came in first, while the Mountain Tones and the Maple City Fife and Drum came in second and third, respectively.

In the end, the Yulan St. Patrick’s Day Parade did its organizers proud. As Donnelly said, what started off as “rinky-dink” is now the largest parade in Sullivan County.