The mid-morning scene at the K-Mart plaza on Route 5, used as the staging area for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade that this year attracted 400,000 spectators along its 2.6-mile route, was one of controlled chaos and high energy.
3.20.11 Holyoke - Sarah G. Pease, 2, of Southwick, in the staging area for the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade prior to stepping off to march in Sunday's parade.HOLYOKE – A colorful sea of 22,000 marchers, 40 floats, 35 marching bands and table upon table of grilling burgers and snacks combined to create a pre-parade cacophony of sights, sounds and aromas that somehow transformed itself into an organized parade.
The mid-morning scene at the K-Mart plaza on Route 5, used as the staging area for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade that this year attracted 400,000 spectators along its 2.6-mile route, was one of controlled chaos and high energy.
“Every year, it’s a cluster,” said Westfield Sons of Erin member Jayne Mulligan.
Among Sunday morning’s hectic activities were vans and buses being unloaded, marchers arranging their dress, bands and fife and drum corps practicing different pieces of music, food cooking on grills and plenty of beer changing hands.
In addition to the entertainment, also milling about were the politicians and dignitaries and parade marshals and award winners representing Western Massachusetts communities, among them retiring Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott.
“I’m glad to be here,” he said. “The sun is out and there’s a record crowd. I just love all the festivities.”
As the morning progressed and the time grew shorter toward the noon step-off time, the chaotic scene miraculously gave way to the vision of a cohesive unit composed of multiple divisions.
“It all comes together because of a lot of dedicated volunteers,” said Roger J. Reidy, parade coordinator.
Those volunteers, known affectionately among perennial marchers as “The Yellow Jackets,” so-called because of the brightly colored jackets they wear, help keep each parade division where it belongs and make sure everyone is in the proper place, Reidy said.
So, how many yellow jackets does it take to organize a parade?
“We have 80 volunteers here today,” Reidy said.
When asked what the trick is to organizing thousands of people, multiple floats and marching bands, Reidy quipped, “If you find one, let me know.”
The trick, if there is one, lies in keeping order among each division.
“It comes down to each division,” Reidy explained. “The divisions break down the parade into smaller units so that when we’re ready to go, we can put it all together.”
While marching groups were stationed in the plaza, floats and large vehicles – as well as horses – were lined up on Route 5 awaiting parade time, and stationed at the helm was James M. Reed, a “Yellow Jacket” charged with keeping the parade’s pace.
“My job is to keep the cadence so that everyone moves slowly, and the parade moves consistently,” he said.
For one of those marchers, 15-year-old Nicholas J. Twohig, an Agawam High School freshman in the band, marching with the Mohawks was a lifelong aspiration come true.
“I used to come to the parade and watch this band when I was a kid, and to be part of it now is great. It’s really exciting.”