Between Iditarod finishers, Nome celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

NOME — An intense sun illuminated Front Street in Nome on Thursday afternoon as parade goers decked in green celebrated St. Patrick’s Day during a lull in Iditarod finishers who had been mushing down the street all week.

The group tossed green necklaces and bags of candy out as they walked on snow that had been piled up for mushers to coast down on their final stretch of the race.

Briday Green took over responsibility for organizing the St. Patrick’s parade from Nancy McGuire, former publisher of the Nome Nugget, some years ago.

“This is something I love doing,” Green said. “It’s exciting and I can celebrate my little part of Irish that I have.”

Green was born and raised in Nome and was a fifth-grader during the first ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, she said.

As she walked down Front Street, greeting the crowd, she wore sealskin mukluks with polar bear trim that she had tied green ribbons around for the holiday.

“My part Irish part Eskimo boots — just like me,” she said.