St. Pat's in Motown

Photo by: detroitirish

I'm feelin' downright nostalgic for the cold-weather parades I occasionally attended in Detroit city with my dad. He had a warehouse on Michigan Ave. about a block from the now-empty Tiger Stadium -- which is still standing, but who knows for how much longer.

The area is part of the historical district of Corktown, but for the most part Michigan Ave. is wide and empty and derelict with small pockets of activity. The neighbourhood, however, still has some bustling Irish pubs and sports bars.

The best part of the parades of mostly Irish folk -- or folks pretending to be Irish -- were the school bands from Detroit. Usually the weather was frigid, unlike last year as can be seen in the photo.

We would line the streets bundled against the cold, keeping warm with coffee and hot chocolate, and the Detroit school bands would strut by with major attitude in their summer marching uniforms.

Proud and smart and funky, they were the best marching bands I've ever seen.

I'm going to head to Toronto's St. Pat's Day parade tomorrow. I need a pick-me-up and the weather promises to be sunny.

But, I'll miss that Motown beat.