By Heather Allen
Published on 3/31/2008

Mystic -- They lined the streets, packing the sidewalks three to four people deep. Dressed in their most festive clothes, they waited.

And while everyone who made the trip to Mystic Sunday afternoon may have had a different motivation to attend the event, many said they were drawn to the parade this year by the same thing — they were there for the horses.

“The bag pipers, that's what we come for,” said Michelle Merrill of Ledyard. “And of course the Clydesdales.”

Merrill, along with her husband, Ian, and son Brendan, 6, were not alone.

The crowd at the fifth annual Mystic St. Patrick's Parade was much larger than usual and the draw this year was the Budweiser Clydesdales.

The huge horses pulled the iconic red Budweiser wagon along the parade route Sunday, drawing cheers from spectators.

As the horses approached the end of the parade route, where West Main Street meets Water Street, Connor Missino, 11, of Norwich, couldn't help but blurt out what must have been on every spectator's mind.

“They are big,” said Connor, who watched the parade with his mom, Becky.

The horses were featured at the very end of the nearly two-hour parade, and police officers had to push the crowds back onto sidewalks and behind barriers on Main and Water streets so the horses and wagon could turn around and march back toward Mystic Seaport, where the parade had started.

This caused some confusion and frustration in the crowd as many people waited on Water Street just beyond where the horses turned around. Several people ran from their spots there in hopes of catching a glimpse or snapping a photo of the Clydesdales.

Meanwhile, the crowds that had lined Main Street had begun to disperse and began walking over the drawbridge and into the street, not knowing the horses that had dazzled them minutes earlier were headed back their way.

But, no major problems occurred and no one was injured as a result of the parade, said Stonington Police Sgt. Louis Diamanti.

Diamanti did say that there were many more parade spectators than usual and that it did take a while for the traffic to subside.

“I'm sure it was because of those Clydesdales,” he said. “Everything got moving, but there was gridlock for a little while.”

Despite the buzz about the horses, the parade had a ton to offer those who packed the parade route on a sunny but chilly March afternoon.

There were, of course, Shriners in mini-cars, fire trucks, Irish steppers, dance teams, color guards and local bands.

The Clydesdales were even upstaged a bit Sunday afternoon, as the Army National Guard received resounding cheers and applause from the crowd as the 192nd Engineering Battalion passed by in massive military trucks adorned with Irish flags.

And of course, there were pipers.

That's what brought Jane Falvey to the parade from her home in Warwick, R.I.

Dressed in an Irish knit sweater and accompanied by her dog Grace O'Malley, who donned an Irish flag bandana around her neck, Falvey said she was thrilled to be in Mystic for the parade, especially since the parade in Newport was postponed earlier in the month because of heavy rain.

“I take my St. Patrick's Day parades very seriously,” she said.

And while Falvey had heard about the horses and was excited to see them, she was focused on a St. Patrick's Day staple.

“Definitely the bagpipes. That's my favorite part,” Falvey said. “The perfect bagpipe is one that you can feel in your bones. It's just so stirring.”

By the end of the parade, Falvey's bones had to have felt something as a dozen pipe bands marched by. They marched in unison to the heavy drum beat that accompanied many of the pipe and drum bands. They wore kilts in a variety of colors and plaids.

There was never a pause in the music Sunday. As soon as a pipe band passed, the sound of drums, horns or more pipes could be heard in the near distance.

By the time the parade wrapped up just shy of 3 p.m., the reviews were in and they were fabulous.

Connor gave the parade a “10 — because of the variety of different things.”

And the Merrill family, who attended last year as well, said it was even more enjoyable this time around.

“We love it — it's our favorite parade,” said Ian Merrill. “It's just a great way to spend a Sunday in general.”

Go to the Mystic Irish Parade website to see the winners of the marching awards.

http://www.mysticirishparade.org/docs/Mystic%20Irish%20Parade%20Foundation08.pdf