CLEVELAND — Arguably the biggest party day of the year in Cleveland is officially underway.
St. Patrick's Day has arrived, driving tens of thousands of people downtown for all of the festivities.
It means huge business for Cleveland bars and restaurants, including the beloved and iconic Slyman's Restaurant and Deli on St. Clair Avenue.
Workers say it's truly their version of "the Super Bowl", and they've been prepping for months.
Slyman's has been serving up those massive, mile-high corned beef sandwiches since 1964.
They actually opened up at 6 a.m. all this week to accommodate customers.
The restaurant maxed out on phone orders, so many folks started lining up in-person around 4 a.m. St. Patrick's Day morning.
The holiday coupled with the parade in downtown is one of the biggest economic drivers of the year.
The Downtown Greater Cleveland Alliance reports roughly 185,000 people attended the parade last year.
It was the first full-scale return since COVID shut down and reduced festivities.
With the parade and holiday falling on a Friday, organizers anticipate even more people in attendance.
According to Michael Deemer, President and CEO of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, people spent more than $640,000 on hotels for this day alone last year.
That's twice the March average.
He says if you're coming out to celebrate, be responsible and consider leaving your car at home and consider an extended day-long stay to support the local industry.
"Public transportation is a great option for doing that. The rapid is very active and busy and St. Patrick's Day, the entire RTA system is. We encourage folks to come down early and stay late. It's a great way to avoid the crowds," Deemer said.
The Downtown Cleveland Alliance will have 80 ambassadors helping folks navigate around downtown and working hand-in-hand with Cleveland Police.
Slyman's dining room downtown is will be carryout only.
If you wanna dodge the crowds, hit up the Independence location on Rockside Road.
The Parade steps off at 1:04 p.m.
