Photos from the 2014 Southie St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Photo by Olga Khvan

Crowds decked out in green celebrated one of Boston’s favorite and most raucous holidays on Sunday at the annual Southie St. Patrick’s Day parade.

This year’s pre-parade back-and-forth politicking was made possible by Boston Brewing Co.: Club Café in the South End dropped  Sam Adams for participating in the non-LGBT-inclusive event, prompting owner Boston Beer Co. to pull its sponsorship at the last minute, which then prompted Cornerstone Pub in Southie to not serve Sam Adams.

Other than that, the event itself went on with few surprises. The celebration included many of the themes we’ve come to expect from the Southie parade, including kilts, leprechauns, animals in costume, and Star Wars storm troopers.

Mayor Marty Walsh did not attend, saying in a statement:

As mayor of the city of Boston, I have to do my best to ensure that all Bostonians are free to participate fully in the civic life of our city. Unfortunately, this year, the parties were not able to come to an understanding that would have made that possible.

But that did not keep satirical news site The Onion from posting this (and yes, that is Donnie Wahlberg):

Boston Mayor Throws Out First Punch At St. Patrick’s Day Parade http://t.co/7SAIogBiwM pic.twitter.com/OVXcyprJ19

— The Onion (@TheOnion) March 16, 2014

Below, check out photos of what actually happened during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Southie. —Photos by Margaret Burdge, Olga Khvan, and Alex Lau

Animals in Costume

Pretty in a Pink Sweater and Green Tutu

A pooch adopted out of Last Hope K9 Rescue went all out with this green tutu.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

'Lovable, Huggable, Adoptable'

This cute pup, who's up for adoption right now at Last Hope K9 Rescue, also walked the parade route with festive St. Paddy's Day gear.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Kick-Ass Canines

KickAss K-9 Rescue brought a pack of perfectly dressed pooches to the parade.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Dressed to Impress

Another cheerful dog from KickAss K-9 Rescue walked the parade route.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Hereee, Kitty Kitty

Sometimes you just can't leave them behind—one parade-goer carried his cat around in a blanket.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Star Wars Characters

May the Weather Be with You

The sun came out for the parade, as well as some Star Wars characters.Alex Lau

Alex Lau

Darth Vader

The villain from Star Wars presided over the festivities from atop a float.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Jedis with Lightsabers

Hey, um, did you know your father's in this parade too?Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Stormtroopers

A parade-goer posed for a photo with stormtroopers along the parade route.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Boston Strong

Remembering the Marathon

Boston Strong was a prevalent theme on many of the trucks and floats participating in the parade.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Marathon Survivors

Survivors of the marathon bombings walked in the parade, escorted by registered nurses, therapists, social workers, and hospital staff from Boston Medical Center.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

'Boston Strong Forever'

People aboard the Spot Clothing truck showed off their Boston Strong spirit.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Marathon Survivors

The 'Tub of the Hub' duck boat carried marathon survivors along the parade route.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

KickAss K-9 Rescue

The volunteer organization embraces the Boston Strong spirit.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Scally Caps, Kilts, and Bagpipes

Irish Pride

There was no shortage of Irish pride at the parade, and this man hit all the bases with a green Irish scally cap, necklaces, and the all-important shamrocks.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Just Chillin'

Boston residents of all ages came out to the parade to show off their Irish pride.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

St. Paddy's Like a Boss

Here's a familiar St. Paddy's Day sight, from the Irish flag scally cap right down to the Solo cup.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

All Wrapped Up

The sky's the limit when it comes to St. Paddy's Day gear, but these women excelled with Irish flag scarves.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

A Little Bit of Sparkle

This onlooker decided to take on St. Patrick's Day swag in style with a green-shamrock sequined scally cap.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Bagpipes and Kilts

It just wouldn't be St. Paddy's without a sufficient supply of bagpipes and kilts.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

More Bagpipes and Kilts

These bagpipers marched in style with plaid kilts and high socks.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Leprechauns

The Rock-and-Roll Leprechaun

Set up in the bed of a pickup truck, a drummer provided live entertainment along the parade route.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

The Bro Leprechauns

A pair of Irish clowns watched the parade from the sidelines.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

The Legit Leprechaun

The parade just wouldn't be itself if not for a man in full-on leprechaun attire.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

The Snapple Leprechauns

These Snapple leprechauns posed for pictures and offered tea samples to the crowds.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

The Little Leprechaun

This pint-sized leprechaun decided to watch the parade from atop a newspaper stand for a better vantage point.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

And All Things Green

Big Crowds at Broadway

The entrance to the Broadway Station, located at the beginning of the parade route, was packed all throughout the celebrations.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Let the Good Times Roll

The crowd outside of Broadway Station was full of St. Patrick's Day spirit.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Spectators at Thomas Park

Onlookers gathered on the hills of Thomas Park to watch the parade pass.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Hair-ific

Some St. Patrick's Day parade-goers went above and beyond, dyeing their hair green in the spirit of the holiday.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Best Seat in the House

This young spectator enjoyed the celebrations from the comfort of his dad's jacket.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

We Think This Guy Had Fun?

Shamrock necklaces and American flags were handed out along the parade route, but this person's skin suit was something special.Alex Lau

Alex Lau

A Patriotic Paddy's Fan

A participant full of both St. Paddy’s Day and patriotic spirit walked along the parade route.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Pahtyin' Hahder

College students made up a large percentage of the St. Paddy’s Day revelers.Alex Lau

Alex Lau

Plus…

Firefighters

Stations in the New England area brought out their vintage trucks for the Boston crowds.Alex Lau

Alex Lau

Cops

The police were primed for the masses of mostly intoxicated and generally rowdy crowds.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

Pride

Despite the parade's inhospitality, there was no lack of support for the LGBT community. Rainbows replaced Irish flag capes, and multi-colored hair also made an appearance.Margaret Burdge

Margaret Burdge

The Keytar Bear

Photo by Alex LauAlex Lau

Alex Lau

Throwing Out…Beads!

One of the parade participants' favorite activities was throwing things—most often green beads or candy—into the crowd.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Throwing Out…Hats!

Kids aboard the International Union of Painters and Allied Traders District Council 35 truck generously threw out numerous green hats into the crowd.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Throwing Out…High Fives!

Tom Brady wishes he could get a high five from these folks. (Also, note the Batman gloves.)Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

Miss Massachusetts

Caroline Lunny participated in the parade, decked out in her crown and a shamrock necklace.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

The United Association's Veterans in Piping

This program offers skills training and jobs in pipe trades to U.S. veterans and active duty military personnel preparing to leave the service.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan

The New England Mechanical Contractors Association

The NEMCA, which partners with the United Association, also marched in the parade.Olga Khvan

Olga Khvan