AUGUSTA, Ga. ()- It’s the luckiest day of the year for thousands of people in Augusta as they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a parade and festivities.

“The St. Patrick Celebration has been celebrated for possibly 200 years in this country by the Irish people that came over here, and now their descendants,” Irish American Heritage Society member Mark Hollingsworth said.

Mark Hollingsworth is a member of The Irish American Heritage Society, here in Augusta. Before his time in Augusta, Hollingsworth tells me he’s experienced St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but nothing like this.

“Augusta does it right, Augusta’s the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration that I’ve ever been a part of,” Hollingsworth said.

It’s so big, Shana O’Neil Sutphin and her Husband Joseph say they invite their whole family. 

“Even when we weren’t participating in the parade when I was a child, we would come to the parade. So, when we became older, we just decided as a family to do this. We’ve been doing it over 30 years, we love the parade, we love coming down here and just celebrating our family…” Shana O’Neil Sutphin said.

While festivities will continue into the night, Monday, it’s the reason those of Irish heritage celebrate that keeps them going. 

“It’s our family heritage. My mother’s side of the family, they were all from Ireland and they came to the United States for a better life. So, we’re trying to celebrate them and what they did to make our lives better,” member of the Thomas “Tommy” Poteet Family said.

So, does this day really bring the most luck for some? 

“Yeah, it might be the luckiest day of the year, we’ll see what the rest of the day holds for us,” member of the Thomas “Tommy” Poteet Family said.