HOLYOKE, MA (WSHM) -
Hundreds of thousands of people will be descending upon the Paper City this weekend for the annual Saint Patrick's Day road race and parade. Police are asking people to plan ahead.
"We suggest you get here early," said Holyoke Police Lt. Matthew Moriarty. "Parking is at a premium. We will enforce parking rules. Don't block people's driveways, don't block a fire hydrant."
Moriarty says that if people break those rules tickets will be issued and tow trucks will be called in.
With the holiday and its festivities known for its alcohol consumption, authorities are warning parade and race goers that if it gets out of hand they are ready to step in.
"I know some people think we go lax on the rules but you can check the arrest logs we have plenty of, so to say," said Moriarty.
Other things Moriarty says to keep in mind are to dress for the weather and to leave banned items like toys guns and silly string at home. And there will be plenty of police on the job throughout the weekend.
"We have cooperation from numerous communities," said Moriarty. "We'll have obviously the state police here, we'll have auxiliaries, we'll have reserves and obviously the Holyoke Police Department and several other communities are bringing officers in for us we'll have the sheriff's department. We'll have a lot of coverage."
Police are urging people to let them know if they see a problem early on so they can solve it before it becomes anything bigger.
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