St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kick off in Albany

People are gearing up for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The parade is not until Saturday, but people have already made their way downtown Albany to celebrate.

Tess Collins, owner of McGeary’s Bar, said with mask mandates recently lifted for indoor dining, they’ve had to make some adjustments.

"It’s kind of like a free for all, so it’s been hard to pivot from that, and try to get your permits, and get all your things together, so it’s been a little difficult," she said.

Customer Bryon Perkins said he looks forward to hanging out with his co-workers face-to-face.

"We’re very excited to see Albany jumping back to life here. It’s also a very good excuse to get out with a bunch of our co-workers. We haven’t got to see each other much in the remote work environment much, so it’s nice to be in person," he said.

Collins said with all the excitement around the big day, she just wants people to be mindful of how they treat each other.

"Be respectful to your staff, be respectful to people, and don’t act like, ‘Well I just got out, and I want to do this.’ We just need to pivot and get back to the way things used to be, but we also need to be respectful," she said.

She also reminds people to be responsible and do not drink and drive.