Sunshine and smiles at Montreal's St. Patrick's Day parade

Thousands gatheredtoday to bask in the sunshine at Montreal's annual St. Patrick's Day parade, one of the oldest and largest in North America.

The clear skies and above-freezing temperatures for the 194th edition of the eventwere a welcome change for revellers after the blizzard earlier this week.

Organized by the United Irish Societies of Montreal, the parade featured more than 20 floats and several marching bands.

It got underway at noon at the corner of Fort and Ste-CatherineStreets. Here's a map of the parade route and the streets to avoid if you're driving today.

Mayor DenisCoderrewastheparade's grand marshal,showing off his Irish heritage in style.Coderrehas Irish roots stemming from his maternal grandmother's side. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also in attendance.

Dogs also took part in the festivities.

And, of course, CBC Montreal was there too.

A full list of participants can be found here, including a group of young hockey players visiting from Ireland.