Everyone's a little Irish during Naperville's St. Pat's parade

As any bagpiper will tell you — and who among us doesn't know at least a half-dozen? — it's tricky enough playing the pipes while marching and wearing kilts without worrying about a biting cold wind or rain or snow winding up somewhere where biting cold winds, rain or snow usually aren't welcome.

So when a St. Patrick's Day dawns fairly warm, as it did Saturday in Naperville, bagpipers — and just about everyone else involved in the holiday-related parade — take a deep breath and thank their magically delicious Lucky Charms.

“I'm just glad to be here — great weather and wonderful people,” said Bob Latkowski of Naperville, who has been participating in the parade since it started more than 20 years ago. “I'm 100 percent Polish, but today everyone is Irish, and my last name is O'Latkowski.”​

And Naperville Mayor George Pradel found his thoughts turned to the upcoming municipal election as he looked at the parade floats gathering in the Naperville North High School parking lot.

“This is election time, so I see all the signs up there,” said Pradel, who isn't seeking another term. “Now it makes me wonder who I should vote for. I guess I've got to start taking names and finding out whether they are worthy of a vote or not.”

This year's procession featured Noelle Johnston, a student at Naperville North High School, as its queen and Naperville Deputy Police Chief Brian Cunningham as its grand marshal.

The Naperville parade, which was preceded by a 5K run in downtown, has been sponsored for more than 20 years by the West Suburban Irish as a celebration and to raise money for several nonprofit groups, most importantly the St. Baldrick's Foundation to fund childhood cancer research.

Images: St. Patrick's Day celebrations