Recap: St. Paddy’s in Healdsburg

I’m seeing rave reviews all around from the St. Patrick’s Day parade and street party that took over downtown Healdsburg on Sunday morning. Our local St. Paddy’s tradition was started a few decades ago by the former owner of the bygone B&B dive bar along Healdsburg Avenue. And this year, for the 30th annual event, “hundreds of locals and others from across the region” attended our pre-dawn parade through town, by the Press Democrat’s count. Most of them “clad in layers of green-colored clothing” and “carrying cow bells, whistles and other celebratory items,” of course — including more than one covert flask of whiskey. Other revelers along the avenue grabbed Irish coffees or Guinness beers from John and Zeke’s — where the B&B used to be — or downed some green eggs and ham at Costeaux Bakery. More from the PD story: “Unlike many holiday parades packed with large floats and performances, Healdsburg’s event is traditionally made up of the people who attend the local celebration of the Irish holiday, effectively making the attendees, themselves, the spectacle. And, this year’s paradegoers made sure they put on a good show. ‘We are the parade,’ said Alicia Sylvester, 35, of Healdsburg. Among the many green items she wore Sunday, Sylvester donned a green wig and comically large, green, Shamrock-shaped glasses with green-tinted lenses.” And the crowd’s antics were enough to rouse at least one tourist at Hotel Healdsburg, as is tradition, the PD reports. There’s some great footage up on the “Shop Local Healdsburg” Instagram account, showing some of the costumes — including one guy in an Irish speedo, another dressed as a giant green wine bottle, kids in tutus, dogs in green paint, dudes in kilts and more. Healdsburg resident Karen Neuburger, 78, tells the PD: “It’s a great expression on what kind of town we are. We’re not too sophisticated. We’re definitely the community that comes out and has fun together.” Amen. Scroll for pics from Shop Local! (Source: Shop Local Healdsburg via Instagram & Press Democrat; paywall)