The Dadd family, from Pueblo, travels every year to see the Colorado Springs St. Patrick's Day parade. "It's just exciting, it's a fun parade, it's just the greatest," said Mary Dadd.

While the parade and all the days festivities are fun for the thousands who come out to downtown Colorado Springs, local police say there's a serious side to the holiday and that has them out in full force. "Cause we know because of the holidays there will be an increase of drinking and driving unfortunately that's the fact," said Sgt. Lonnie Spanswick.

Colorado Springs police take weeks to set up for a holiday like this, to make sure everyone is safe. "To have it on the weekend, as far as St. Pat's Day celebrations, and we do a lot of saturations as far as DUI enforcement, so it is a big weekend for us," said Sgt. Spanswick.

He hopes everyone takes a moment to think about the consequences of drinking and driving before getting behind the wheel. Law enforcement all over the state will be on saturation patrol through Thursday to lookout for drunk drivers.