GREEN BAY, Wis. — It was a celebration of all things Irish in Green Bay on Sunday. The city held its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, a tradition that has been happening for 15 years.
No one was more excited than 12-year-old Irish dancer Adeline Whitman.
"We'll perform a variety of reels and jigs in both hard and soft shoes, some dances to traditional Irish music and to nontraditional Irish music," Whitman said.
With every step, a bit of history is unveiled. Irish dancing can be traced as far back as the 17th century. It’s a tradition Whitman said she’s honored to be a part of.
"It's a big part of Irish culture and so is St. Patrick's Day. This parade is a way to show off our culture and the Irish heritage," Whitman said.
The Shamrock Club of Green Bay, along with Downtown Green Bay, hosted the parade. Local Irish family clans, high school marching bands and inflatable costumes entertained the crowd.
Katie Kamin is the events coordinator with Downtown Green Bay. She said you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day.
"We are a melting pot of lots of different cultures and I think it's just a fun way for everybody to come together to celebrate Irish heritage and Irish culture,” Kamin said.
Whitman said she was excited to march with her fellow Irish step dancers and bring smiles to the crowd.
“We get to share Irish culture with people who might not have heard of it before and people just enjoy the music and the dancing,” Whitman said. “It’s very fun to show up and perform for our community and our families.”