Publisher Reg Buxton – St Patrick’s Day in Naples

EXCELLENT! That’s the only word necessary to describe our recent St Patrick’s Day. No one loves and does parades quite as well as Naples. Why? Well the most obvious reason is that it’s fun, the second reason is the feeling of connectivity. As you looked out at the sea of faces it appeared that every nationality was represented in the cheering crowds. BUT on that day everyone was Irish, exhibiting pure joy by wearing green in some form including shirts, wigs, face paint and even a couple of folks swigging an early morning beer. 

Enthusiasm and tradition was apparent by those real troopers who were on 5th Avenue by 5 a.m. sitting up chairs, coolers, umbrellas and the works. The turnout was estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 people and no one was disappointed. If you want to see the spirit of Naples in action, there are many ways to find it. Our parks, beaches, outdoor art and music festivals to name a few. If you want to be a full blown participant then come to a parade. Let’s ensure that we keep that sense of community going all year long.