Holyoke is ready to celebrate St. Patrick's weekend.
Organizers are expecting at least six-thousand runners in Saturday's Road Race along with hundreds who plan to walk the course.
On Sunday, the 73rd annual St. Patrick's Parade will begin shortly after eleven a.m with thousands expected in attendance.
Police Officers say unattended backpacks will be removed and searched, and gallon jugs filled with alcohol are not permitted.
They added that couches cannot be used as space savers along either the parade or race routes.
The department says about 200 police officers will be deployed throughout the weekend.
This year's Grand Marshal is Michael J. Moriarty, who has served on the Parade Committee for almost four decades.
(Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Photo: Charles McQuillan / Getty Images News / Getty Images