HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke has announced the winning design for its 11th annual Grand Colleen float contest. The contest gives Holyoke students a chance to get creative and be part of the iconic parade.

Float chair Bill Quesnel told us they had 153 entrants this year, which they had to narrow down again and again until they selected their winner. We spoke to the two students who created that design, Marla Nieves and Joel Franco, to find out what inspired it. “At first, I wanted to stray away from the cartoony, colorful thing that we usually always do and I wanted to give homage to the beautiful architect, I believe, with the Celtic stone and the castles. So, I think it’s really beautiful and giving it love was what I hopefully would have wanted for it,” they said.

Aside from the bragging rights, the winner gets a $100 reward, a framed portrait of their original design, and the honor of riding in the tow vehicle of the Grand Colleen’s float during this year’s parade.

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