Every year I look forward to the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Mystic, Connecticut. I always enjoy photographing the moments. It started to drizzle halfway through the parade but it didn’t deter people from having fun. This was captured during the 2026 Mystic Irish Parade. Please make request here for a free copy of photo(s) of yourself, your loved one or your pets and I will email you one without the watermark!

Much appreciation to the law enforcement that keeps Mystic safe! I was impressed that even police departments from out of the area came to support our local departments.

You can’t have a parade without the firetrucks! I love the classic trucks from Yantic, Groton Long Point and Westerly. Of course, it was good to see the Westerly Santa again!

Plenty of cute dogs were in the parade and some as spectators!

I snapped some fun shots of parade participants and the crowd:

Organizations from Mystic area participated in the parade. Many thanks to the Mystic Irish Parade Board who worked hard to make this fun event happen every year for all of us. Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Noank Library, Mystic Garden Club. Mystic Seaport float promoted their upcoming Lego exhibit.

St. Patrick’s Day can only mean one thing — time for the bagpipes! Many groups come from all over to Mystic to play some tunes. Mystic Highland Pipe Band, Mystic Pipes & Drums, Middletown PBA Pipes and Drums, Mattatuck Drum Band, New London Firefighters Pipes & Drums, Newport AOH Pipes & Drums, Police Pipes and Drums of Waterbury, CT, Rhode Island Highlanders, Rhode Island Professional Firefighters Pipes and Drums and Stony Creek Drum Corps.