Fifth Avenue buzzed today as the St. Patrick’s Day Prep Rally drew 3,000. Irish dancers stomped at 44th Street—X clips hit 8,000; green hats waved. A Bronx bagpiper’s ‘Danny Boy’ solo—500 teared up; $10 pins sold 400. Free shamrock stickers—kids grabbed 600; 52°F sun shone. NYC’s Irish pride—Midtown’s alive.
Organizer Liam Kelly, 50, booked 15 acts—Dublin flags flew. A Gaelic lesson tent—200 learned ‘sláinte’—sparked laughs. Local pubs donated $5K for parade floats—March 17 looms. New eco-banners cut waste—green goes greener. Fifth Avenue’s heart—NYC’s Celtic soul.
It’s not smooth—sound lagged; mics buzzed once. Crowds spilled to 6th Avenue—cops redirected. Still, 3K fans, 3 hours—rally’s a hit. Post-event, O’Lunney’s buzzed—pints clinked. Annual warm-up—NYC gears up.
Kelly’s 50—Irish star? Piper’s 30—music lives. Midtown danced; NYC glowed. St. Paddy’s—cheers on.
