St Patrick’s Day in Luton wouldn’t be complete without a parade through the town to pay homage to the patron saint of Ireland, and for the town’s Irish population to come together to mark the occasion.
At the weekend, Luton Irish Forum celebrated its 25th year of the St Patrick’s Day Festival with a parade, as hundreds lined the streets of Luton.
LIF spokesperson, Elleesa Rushby, said: “It was a sea of green, St George’s Square was just rammed with people. The parade was inclusive, it was very varied. We had things like MG classic cars and GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) clubs. There were several pipe bands in it. There was representation from a lot of Irish counties, with people walking very proudly behind their county flag.”
There was a special schedule of events, starting at the beginning of March to get the whole town in the festive mood.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Elleesa said: "It feels incredible, because you are standing on the shoulders of giants. You are standing on the shoulders of people who were doing this when there wasn’t any funding and it was much more low-key, to think that it’s 25 years old, and it is now a major festival, it is just incredible.Also part of the parade was the huge puppet of the patron saint. Elleesa added: “It was designed by our young people in conjunction with Lauren Connolly, from UK Carnival Arts. We are just so full of praise for Lauren for doing this and for the young people as well.”
Scroll through our images to see how the day went.
1. St Patrick’s Day 2024
This little boy got on his father's shoulders for a better view of the action. Photo: Tony Margiocchi
2. St Patrick’s Day 2024
The crowds were moving in unison to the tunes! Photo: Tony Margiocchi
3. Tony Margiocchi
A St Patrick lookalike led the parade past the town hall. Photo: TONY MARGIOCCHI
4. St Patrick’s Day 2024
Even the four-legged friends got involved in the fun! Photo: Tony Margiocchi