Southwest Florida businesses celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

The St. Patrick’s Day festivities are good news for businesses in Southwest Florida.

It’s the first normal St. Patrick’s Day since the pandemic began.

For Alan and Betty Waterman, both in their seventies, it’s a day to go all out.

They are dressed to impress and hit up bars in Cape Coral.

“It’s great to be fun and be happy and be different,” Alan said.

And everyone is happy this year, the celebration is different.

“They shut us down last two years ago on St. Paddy’s Day,” said John Giaquinto, of Duval Street, a restaurant in Cape Coral.

“Everybody for once really seems kind of calm and ready to celebrate a holiday,” said Kelly Feather, co-owner of FINS and Seafood and Dive bar.

It also coincides with March Madness.

“On one hand, people are like play the music and the other hand they’re like turn up the volume on the game,” she said.

Betty said it’s nice to have a day to forget all of the troubles in the world.