With clocks reset, a slower start to get their Irish up

For the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade, 2013 was the best of times and, for some, sleepy, confusing times.

The weather for Sunday's parade was about as good as it gets. But spectators lost an hour of sleep overnight to the start of daylight saving time. Others were baffled as to why the parade was held a full week before St. Patrick's Day.

The parade - which dates to 1771 - is typically held on the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day. But when the holiday falls on a Sunday, organizers can choose whether to have it on March 17 or March 10.

Not caught off guard were Derek Fizur and Carly Gibson of Deptford. They had their folding chairs set up on 16th Street by 9:30 a.m., expecting big crowds.

Fizur, wearing a felt beer mug on his head, said he and his parents liked to snag the same spot every year, right at the starting line.

"Last year, it was packed, so we wanted to come early," Gibson, 26, said. But at 11 a.m., they were still the only ones sitting along the street.

Around the corner in the staging area, members of the Rince Ri dance troupe were ready to go, their hair curled in tight ringlets, their bright orange outfits bundled under white Aran-style Irish sweaters.

The routine was top-secret at the time, but Erin Matthews, 10, and Bridget Owens, 9, said they weren't nervous.

"It's fun!" said Erin, who also participated last year when they won the Tate Award for "best exemplifying the spirit of the parade."

In keeping with the parade's theme, "A Decade of Remembrance," Rince Ri acted out the story of Annie Moore, an Irish girl who was the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island, in 1892. The dancers performed a slip jig with luggage for props. At the finale, a map of Ireland was juxtaposed with Lady Liberty.

"It means that they're happy to be in America, but at the end they get down and wave back at their homeland," said Olivia Hilpl, founder and choreographer of the Bucks County troupe.

Rince Ri was the first dance group to step out. As the dancers passed by, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was lined with spectators who all had front-row seats and plenty of elbow room.

The crowds thickened through the afternoon, but never reached the density or din of the Mummers Parade or the Fourth of July concert.

In a city known for its raucous street festivals, the St. Patrick's Day festivities remained low-key and family-friendly.

Kevin Farrell stood near 18th Street, watching his 2-year-old son, Kaleb, play on the grass with a bubble-maker.

"Oh, bud, here come the police cars! Come sit down and watch," Farrell said. They had never been to the parade before, but Farrell said the nice weather drew them into town from Lansdale.

Almost all the spectators stayed on the north side of the Parkway, basking in gentle sunlight.

Janet Gallagher of Clifton Heights goes to the parade every year to cheer on her father, a Civil War reenactor with the Irish 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

"It was a really important regiment," Gallagher said. "They helped hold off Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. But since they were Irish, they didn't get the credit they deserved."

By 3 p.m., the crowds had filled out along the parade route and lines for green beer and restrooms were starting to stretch down the block.

On 17th Street, it was Silly String Central, with streets and spectators littered with the sticky stuff.

Tom Turner, a vendor from Maryland, was grateful business had picked up from the morning hours.

He had been posted in front of the Windsor Hotel since 7:30 a.m., sandwiched between a bar and portable toilet and groups of spectators who came with their own supply of green beer in ice chests.

Across the street, Terri Skane was ready to cheer on the Emerald Isle dancers. "I love the parade," she said. "It's a great celebration of Irish culture - and the weather is beautiful."