Practically everyone in Ocean City tomorrow will "be" Irish, as the Atlantic resort puts on its 25th annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.
The early spring event, which has drawn as many as 10,000 spectators in recent years, kicks off at 11 a.m., with the parade starting at noon.
The parade, which has become the second-largest in Maryland (outdone only by Baltimore's annual parade on Sunday), will include more than 100 floats, marching bands and dance groups prancing down Coastal Highway.
"It's really become a very big deal for Ocean City over the years," said Mayor James N. Mathias Jr., an Irish-American "on both sides of the family," who manages to hitch a ride on a float or convertible to take part in Baltimore's parade every year, too.
"For us at the beach, it's one of those early, unofficial beginning-of-the-season events," Mathias said. "It goes the whole gamut - from the serious military units to the silly stuff. You can't beat it for fun this time of year."
The parade route begins at 61st Street and concludes at the 45th Street Village shopping center, where the expansive midtown parking lot will be transformed into an Irish festival, offering traditional food and Irish music.
The event, which concludes at 4 p.m., was first organized in 1980 by the Delmarva Irish-American Club, whose membership has grown from about a dozen founding members to more than 300. The group uses the money raised from businesses that sponsor floats in the parade to award scholarships to local students.
