Pre COVID-19 Lookback: The ST. Patrick’s Day Parade 10 Weeks Ago [Photos]

10 weeks ago this Saturday was the annual St Patrick's Day Parade through the streets of Downtown Binghamton. Thousands of people lined the sidewalks on both sides of  Court and Main Streets to watch hundreds of parade participants pass by.

Binghamton restaurants, bars, and shops were buzzing with patrons. The day of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Binghamton is one of the busiest days of the year for downtown restaurants and bars.

Little did we know what was coming our way the following week.

I remember lining up at NYSEG stadium before the parade started. Everyone was saying hello to their friends and we were all hugging each other and shaking hands before we were told to get in our vehicles because the parade was about to start. That was only 10 weeks ago.

Luckily for us, Binghamton holds the parade on the first Saturday in March. If we didn't have an early date, it may not have happened at all. A lot of major cities had to cancel their Saint Patrick's Day Parades because of the Coronavirus outbreak. Boston, Philadelphia, and even Scranton, who holds their parade the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day, all had to cancel their festivities because of the Coronavirus.

It's really mind-boggling how fast things changed. I heard about the Coronavirus before Parade day, which was March 7th., but at that point, it was still just a big problem in other countries around the world and not so much here in the states. We all figured if we washed our hands more often, and just use hand sanitizer, we would all be fine. We were wrong.

As Binghamton starts Phase 1 of the reopening of the state today, we dream of the possibilities of what we might be able to do this summer if we can contain the Coronavirus.

In the meantime, let's take a look back at the annual Binghamton St Patrick's Day Parade held just 10 weeks ago. We took a ton of pictures from within the Whale rig. If you were in attendance, there's a good chance you are in one of these photos.