QUINCY, ILL. -- It was a beautiful Saturday weather-wise thanks to the luck of the Irish.

Quincy kicked off its St. Patrick's Day festivities with its 25th annual parade down Maine Street. Hundreds of people walked the streets in green, along with their four-legged friends.

But for the kids on the sidelines, it was all about the sweets.

"What's your favorite part about the parade? 'The candy throwing,'" said Abby Poppenhager. 'I saw a lot of trucks going by and there's a lot of candy, and I got the most,'" said Jimmy Poppemhager, Abbey's brother.

The parade began at 11 a.m. at 12th and Maine and ended at 5th and Maine. The procession lasted about an hour.