Budweiser Clydesdales make deliveries in Arlington Heights

It seemed no parking was left Wednesday afternoon in downtown Arlington Heights, where the renowned Budweiser Clydesdales paid a visit.

Hundreds of people stood on their toes and perched children on their shoulders along Vail Street to see the horses get hitched to their wagon at 4 p.m. Some looked on from the top floor of a parking garage nearby.

The horses toured downtown from 5 to 7 p.m., delivering cartons of beer to local restaurants.

Meghan Cordero, who lives in Lombard, was by chance at her sister's home in Arlington Heights and decided to make a spontaneous trip out with her 6-month-old, Conan, and dog, Pudge.

"I wanted (Conan) to see them," said Cordero, who herself has never seen the horses.

Accompanied by their Bernese mountain dog, Brody, Arlington Heights residents Brad and Ginny Schroeder said they'd seen the horses before in St. Louis but couldn't pass up the chance to get another glance.

"They're just beautiful animals," Brad Schroeder said.

"We love large animals ... large dogs, large horses," joked Ginny Schroeder. "And we love the commercials!"

The Clydesdales, which will visit Antioch today, often appear in commercials for the beer company, traditionally during the Super Bowl. They regularly tour around the country and have been a company symbol for 80 years.

In celebration of the end to the Prohibition in 1933, August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August A. Busch Sr., son of the brewery's founder, with the Clydesdales. He was "moved to tears," according to the company's website.

Of course, the rest is history.