Residents across Philadelphia area celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Irish heritage

HADDON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Hundreds of people packed Haddon Square to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Sunday.

Haddon Township once again went green for its annual St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl. The two-day event, which featured several establishments on the square, drew dozens of people who were draped in their Irish green attire and four-leaf clover necklaces.

By mid-afternoon, the good times were rolling for party-goers like Kevin Luscomb, who told Action News he was in love with the atmosphere.

"It's terrific-terrific," Luscomb said. "Everybody's happy here."

This year, nearly a dozen bars and restaurants opened their doors for St. Paddy's Day bar hoppers with hopes of infusing some extra cash or gold into their coffers.

At P.J. Whelihan's outside event, people came to the party as they indulged in food, dancing, and plenty of beverages.

Having best friends there to enjoy the good vibes was a must for Jeannie Connor, who said she and her friends were Irish and celebrated their heritage together every year.

Connor said she even rushed back to Haddon Township from a wedding in South Carolina so she wouldn't miss out on any fun.

"It's very important," she said. "We all work hard. We raise families. It's good to have a day to blow off steam and celebrate your heritage."

To ensure everyone had the opportunity to drink safely, the township offered a free Jitney service so people could get to and from bars without issue.

Michael Cabrera said it was a great way to meet tons of new people and keep the spirit of the day alive.

"I love a good bar crawl just cause you get to meet whoever, wherever, know what I mean? You get to go to different places, try different drinks that everyone else has," Cabrera told Action News.

While the day was largely about having fun for many people, one kid we spoke to, Logan Kuehner, said he was focused on one of the most important aspects of St. Paddy's Day: catching a leprechaun.

He even shared his strategies on how to nab one.

"I left a big box out that has muffins so he might think that there was muffins in it," Kuehner explained. "He climbed in but he didn't get trapped."

In Philadelphia, there was no shortage of celebrators out embracing their Irish heritage.

Bargoers at Ryan's Pub in Manayunk let their Irish roots shine bright.

"My mom's 100% Irish. I get to tap into that side a little, you know get to enjoy all of that, have some Guinness-best beer out there. So, get to have a great time," noted Jou Ronzer from West Chester.

St. Paddy's Day is something Imoni Williams looks forward to every year and says it's a holiday everyone can embrace.

"Absolutely! Everyone's Irish today," she said.