(03/17/2019) - Bay City was filled with a sea of green Sunday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Many, like Jim Malloy, woke up in the top of the morning to get the festivities started.
"I love running and I love the festivity,” said Malloy. “I'm not the fastest guy in the world but I like having fun and I can't think of a funner race to run than the St. Patrick's Day runs."
Every year Malloy loves coming to Bay City to run, this year taking on the Irish double – running in both the 8k and 5k race.
"A community like this, it's just great and with the history of this race, what is it 46 years in a row… You can't beat that," said Malloy.
And while some ran, others enjoy watching from the sideline.
"We set up, we've been doing this for years," said Terry O’Hare, who had his chairs set up early for the parade. "Yeah so we just watch them run across the finish line, help them if they're dying… you know whatever it takes."
This tradition is one that started for O’Hare many years ago...
"Way back to the 1950s since I was born,” said O’Hare. “It's a family thing; we've always come down for the parade if it's good enough whether you can get out."
Mark Sprygada has been a part of the Bay City St. Patrick's day parade for decades.
"I have been a photographer for the parade off and on since 1969," said Sprygada.
But this year he'll be seeing the 65th annual parade through a different lens - as the grand marshal.
"St. Patrick's Day is an opportunity for all of us to gather in Bay City whether we're Irish or want to be Irish and to gather in a celebration of our community," said Sprygada.
As the grand marshal, Sprygada is prepared to handle the pressures of the job.
"One wave of course is the window washing wave, the other wave is the screw in the lightbulb wave, and we'll be using both of those this year," said Sprygada.
The theme of the 2019 parade was “Green since 1954.”
The parade is a free event, but spectators were asked to bring a non-perishable food item to the parade, all donations will go to the Safe Harbor Kitchen.