From: The South Side Irish Parade Committee
To: Bar Owners/Organizers of Bus Trips to the SSIP Parade Route
The South Side Irish Parade (SSIP) Committee, which is comprised of residents of the Beverly/Morgan Park community and surrounding neighborhoods, is reaching out to bar owners and organizers of tour buses trips to the SSIP on March 15 to request assistance in our ongoing efforts to make the Parade a family- and neighborhood-friendly event.
The South Side Irish Parade is and has always been guided by the ideals of Family, Faith and Heritage. Over the years, the SSIP has grown into an event that draws tens of thousands of people from the greater Chicago area, the U.S. and even from around the world. Last year, more than 350,000 people attended. And, as we are sure you are aware, a small percentage of those people behave in ways that do not represent the SSIP’s ideals and are disrespectful to the host community.
We are asking for your support and assistance in ensuring that Parade Day is an event that all can enjoy by following a couple of important guidelines:
• Park your buses south of 117th Street on Western Ave.
The side streets surrounding the parade route will be congested by pedestrians and vehicles supporting the parade units. These streets are not equipped to support buses. Please park your buses on Western Ave. south of 117th Street and inform your group that you will meet them at that location at a specified time.
• Demand that your customers respect the neighborhood.
The beautiful and historic Beverly/Morgan Park community is home to thousands of families. Those families call this neighborhood home every day of the year, including Parade Day. Typically, more than 90% of the arrests made on Parade Day involve people who are not Beverly/Morgan Park residents. We strongly suggest that you advise your group that it is their best interest to respect our neighborhood. In particular, Beverly’s residents, businesses and the SSIP Committee itself collectively spend thousands and thousands of dollars on portable restrooms. Please inform your group that there are 300+ such facilities on the parade route and throughout the neighborhood, and instruct them to use those restrooms rather than bushes, lawns and alleys.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at southsideirishparade@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
The South Side Irish Parade Committee