America is getting green and giddy for its largest St. Patricks Day parades | KLRT [Video]

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Patrick’s Day parades across the U.S. are planned for Saturday, promising to turn one river green in the Midwest, commemorate the bicentennial of a parade in the South and put forth the first female leader of a major beer company as its marshal.

The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and was popularized by largely Catholic Irish immigrants. While St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, it’s being observed with major parades a day early so it doesn’t land on Sunday, a day of rest for the faithful.

In New York City, neighborhoods have held smaller parades for the past few weeks. In February, conservative Staten Island held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade allowing LGBTQ+ flags and groups. The main parade, in Manhattan, has included those groups and symbols since 2014.

On Saturday, Heineken CEO Maggie Timoney plans to serve as grand marshal of the …