Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade brings many customers to local businesses

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) — St. Patrick’s Day is of course big business, and with the annual parade on Sunday in Holyoke, bars and restaurants are attracting many visitors to the city.

It’s estimated that St. Patrick’s weekend has a local economic impact in excess of $20 million here in western Massachusetts. It’s not so surprising after seeing how busy restaurants like Pic’s Pub and Pizzeria in Holyoke get right after the parade.

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade is of course a tradition near and dear to so many throughout the region. But, what’s almost as synonymous with St. Patrick’s celebrations are everyone’s plans right after the parade ends in the early afternoon.

For 71 years hundreds of thousands of people have lined the streets of Holyoke for the St. Patrick’s Parade and it’s institutions like the one at Pic’s Pub and Pizzeria where so many of those people that lined the streets come right afterwards.

22News spoke to the nephew of Pic himself, Matthew Dulude, who’s also the Bartender and Owner of Pic’s Pub and Pizzeria, and he said this may be the busiest day of the year, “Operations on St. Patrick’s Day are go go go the way I look at it. I mean it’s the best weekend for business in Holyoke this really makes Holyoke, Holyoke.”

For some from the area like Holyoke native Johny Hobert, coming to Pic’s is a tradition over a decade old, “I love Holyoke, born and raised here. I come up and visit my hometown, and support people. I run into people and come to Pic’s Place.”

For others, it’s a new ritual to grab a slice and Guinness here after the parade.

“It’s a new tradition and I’m excited for it,” expressed Sheena Zerfas from Springfield.

Pic’s will be open until 2 a.m. on Sunday night / early Monday morning, and even though people have work and school tomorrow morning, it doesn’t matter. It’s St. Patrick’s Day in Holyoke. This place will be, as they described it, ‘popping all night.’