Chuck Pederson and Lola perform a little Fleetwood Mac on stage during the St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Shell Factory on Sunday. CHUCK BALLARO

What started a decade ago as a glorified golf cart parade has turned into one of the biggest parties of the year, the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Shell Factory.

This year’s event on Sunday had nearly 1,000 attendees wearin’ the green as they drank green beer, ate corned beef and cabbage and listened to traditional Irish favorites, from Danny Boy to Fleetwood Mac.

As with many such celebrations in the past, people arrived much earlier than the noon starting time, with the Drums and Hoses pipes and drum corps coming early to perform for the crowd because they had four other celebrations to attend.

Anne Sheridan, general manager of the Shell Factory, said nobody throws a party like the Shell Factory.

“There are people from everywhere here because the Shell Factory is the best party in town, always,” Sheridan said. “By 10:30, there wasn’t a seat in the tents. People who come here know they’re going to have a good time.”

Susan and Dawen McIntyre raise their glasses in celebration during the St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Shell Factory on Sunday. CHUCK BALLARO

Shell Factory owner Pam Cronin said it was great that everyone was in the holiday spirit.

“We have a sea of green. It’s just a happy day and everybody is Irish. Any time there is an event or a calendar day, this is the place to be,” Cronin said. “Tommy’s is always overflowing and we had to add more tents. Now they’re everywhere. It’s fabulous.”

Chuck Peterson and Lola brought the live entertainment with classic Irish music and interludes of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac thrown in, with Lola providing the singing for that.

The Calendar Girlz also made its annual appearance with a tribute to the day and of America.

Dawn McIntyre, whose aunt performs with the Calendar Girlz, said it’s great to get the community together.

The Calendar Girlz perform during the St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Shell Factory on Sunday. CHUCK BALLARO

“All ages are hanging out. They’re dancing and we follow our aunt wherever she goes so it’s a good idea to have them here,” McIntyre said. “Irish has been my heritage my whole life.”

The event started in the early 2010s when a group of people wanted to do something special for the holiday and thought the Shell Factory would be a perfect place, since they didn’t have a celebration for it yet.

“We got a few of us together and a few golf carts and had a golf cart parade. It caught on and caught on,” said Jimmy Poyer, a part of the group that started the event. “This is what Florida is all about.

It also created another annual tradition, where Poyer, now 75, climbs the pole and rings the bell, making him the oldest person to accomplish that feat.

“Somebody said I was too old to climb the pole and I told them to not say that. I’ve proved I can for nine years,” Poyer said. “I’m going to do it until I’m 80.”

Jimmy Poyer, 75, goes up the climbing pole during the St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Shell Factory on Sunday. CHUCK BALLARO