Two brothers return home for special St. Patrick's Day celebration

Many celebrations took place across the state to celebrate St Patrick's Day today, but one small town did it a little bit different.

In a town where many say grand marshal is the town's highest honor, they take the selection process very carefully. In order to be grand marshal of the parade in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, you have to be 100 percent Irish. So, as many of the town's residents have reached old age, they decided to import their Irish this year.

John and Tom McPartlan were chosen for this year's parade.

"Great honor... especially for me, I haven't lived here in sixty some years." Tom traveled from New York and John made the trip from Crystal, Minnesota "Very important, especially being grand marshal it's a really great honor, you know." The two are full-blooded Irish brothers and grew up in Belle Plaine.

Hundreds headed out to Saturday's parade, which started at the Catholic Church and made its way through the downtown area of Belle Plaine.