Lake Villa holds a St. Patrick's Day parade

A story about the Lake Villa St. Patrick's Day Parade, which ran in some editions of the March 16 Daily Herald, included a photo caption with an incorrect identification. Sheri Conner was marching with the Lake Villa District Library during the parade.

Patrick McLaughlin of Lake Villa may be the only man to car surf on a green car driven by a green man through downtown Lake Villa.

McLaughlin was on top of Blackthorn Grille's car driven by Ryan Coy of Lake Villa. He was wearing a green stretch fabric bodysuit in the Village of Lake Villa's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The parade kicked off at noon Saturday from Palombi Middle School and made its way through a nearby neighborhood before heading along Cedar Avenue in downtown.

Jackie Sparacino of Schaumburg, wearing a "Kiss me I'm Irish" T-shirt, said she has been attending the parade for 34 years with her mother, Joyce Hipsman of Lake Villa.

"This year is a little warmer than last year," Sparacino said.

Officials said the parade route was changed slightly this year to avoid the snowy remnants of winter.

Parade announcer Robert Frank told jokes to entertain the crowd waiting for the parade to start and interviewed many of the parade marchers as they went past the parade stage.

The parade included Lake Villa's public works trucks. "We have plowed 15,000 miles of snow covered roads this year," said Glenn McCollum, director of public works.

The traditional corn beef and cabbage dinner was held after the parade at the Lake Villa VFW hall, where 200 pounds of corned beef was prepared.

Parade spectators also helped fill the "Rainbow Caboose" with food donations for the Lake Villa Food Pantry.