ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

A crowd watches the St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Roanoke on Saturday. "I liked the ambulance and the fire truck and the clowns," said Charlie Frittman, 4.

Photos by ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Elly May walks in McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Roanoke on Saturday with Old Southwest representatives.

Above: Members of the Emeraldettes Baton Corps march in the parade on Saturday.

Right: City Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick boards an antique bus as part of the celebration.

Above: Members of the Emeraldettes Baton Corps march in the parade on Saturday.

Right: City Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick boards an antique bus as part of the celebration.

Saturday's McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Roanoke may have occurred under the sunniest, warmest conditions in recent years.

But the organizer of the annual parade and the SunTrust Celtic Festival that accompanies it said deteriorating weather conditions later in the afternoon confirmed forecasts earlier in the week that led to the cancellation of the festival.

"I think it's one of the most disappointing things I've done since I've been here," said Larry Landolt, EventZone's executive director, regarding the canceled event. "We could have got a little bit of the Celtic festival in, but about half of it would have been rained out. It was a gut-wrenching call, I can tell you that."

EventZone lost about $10,000 by canceling the festival, Landolt said.

He estimated, though, that at least 10,000 people were in attendance at the 90-minute parade. It started at 11:30 on Jefferson Street and included everything from Scottish bagpipers to National Guard bands, Irish fraternal organizations, local cheerleaders, fire engines, roller derby girls, Dalmatians and greyhounds.

With no festival to go to afterward, restaurants in and around the Roanoke City Market were jammed following the conclusion of the parade about 1 p.m.

Hot dogs were being sold as fast as they could be cooked at the Roanoke Weiner Stand, and there were standing-room-only crowds in the City Market Building food court.

Warren Amberson, who attended the parade, said the warm weather would have been great for the festival.

"Today would have really been something. It's such a shame," he said as he drank a beer in front of Gunther O'Darby's Pub on Jefferson Street as the parade wound down.

"It was a big business day for downtown," Landolt said. "We thought the parade was great. It seemed to be more festive than ever."

Nancy Frittman of Roanoke has made the parade an annual event for her children, Charlie, 4, and Anna, 3.

"It turned out a lot better than last year," she said, when temperatures were about 30 degrees lower.

"I liked the ambulance and the fire truck and the clowns," Charlie said.

Landolt said there was some initial talk about canceling the parade, too, based on the weather forecast.

"To cancel that would have been really tragic," he said.

Marty Anderson said she started the day worried about the weather and thought about not coming to the parade.

"This morning I was trying to talk myself out of it. I thought it was going to be raining and be cold," she said.

"But I'm so glad I came. It's been fun."