St. Patrick's Day is a sign of spring to Buffalonians. A sign that we can crawl out of our houses after months of being locked away shielding us from the cold. A sign that spring is here. And soon summer will be here, too.

Green, the color of St. Patrick's Day, is the color of spring, the season of rebirth and renewal.

Buffalo is a very diverse city. Besides German-American s and Polish - Americans, Buffalo has a large Irish-American population. But everyone can celebrate the long - awaited St. Patrick's Day.

Below are some events that are going on around March 17 :

• On March 11, Buffalo State College will host “An Evening of Traditional Music” in the Campbell Student Union from 4:30 – 7 p.m. in the Barnes and Noble Bookstore. The event is hosted by Mark Warford, assistant professor of m odern and c lassical l anguages, and Bill Raffel, assistant professor in communications.
• On March 13, there is the parade through the traditional neighborhoods of the Valley and the Old First Ward.
• On March 14, another St. Patrick's Day Parade starts downtown and makes its way up Delaware Avenue , ending at North Street, near Allentown.

Started back in 1913, that parade is held the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, and is hosted by the United Irish-American Association of Erie County INC.

Kevin Collura, 19, prides himself in being Irish-American.

“I look forward to the parade every year. I've been going to the parade for as long as I can remember. I'll keep going to the parade. When I get married and have children, I will take my children to the parade,” he said.

After the parade, there is a post-parade party for all to enjoy. The event is free and held at the Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza at Main and Chippewa s treet s. Some of the events at the post-parade party are ice-skating on green ice, rides, clowns, face-painting and other fun things for the whole family to enjoy.

www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/
buffalo/  

polaris.it.rit.edu/~bls1531/
archives/000030.html

            Although it is many months away, the 22 nd annual Buffalo Irish Festival is the last weekend in August, on the 27, 28 and 29. . The festival is at The Pier, so the weather would most likely be too chilly to have it around St. Patrick's Day.

If you are Irish or not, celebrate the beginning of spring, the only way Buffalonians know how.

Email: Shiele95@mail.buffalostate.edu