The 184th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is this weekend with festivities starting Thursday and running through Sunday evening.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade route starts at the Liberty and Gwinette Streets intersection, traveling up Liberty to Broughton Street. It heads to East Broad Street and then to Bay Street. It turns back down Bull Street and travels to its finish at the Charlton Street intersection.
River Street will be gated off for festivities beginning Thursday evening, with wristbands being sold. Two stages will be set up for Irish and southern rock, Celtic, funk, alternative, country, pop and more.
The Miller High Life stage will be located at the Rousakis Plaza at Tubby’s Tank House and Huey’s restaurants; the Miller Lite stage will be set up at the Barnard Street ramp of Fiddler’s Crab House and Dockside Seafood restaurants.
The City Market will also have free festivities beginning Thursday, including music, food and beverages and souvenir booths.
Thursday
4:30 p.m. – Jasper Green Ceremony in Madison Square
5-9 p.m. – Rock, blues and pop will be on the Miller Lite stage, including a session of live rock karaoke starting at 9 p.m.
5 p.m.-12 a.m. – The I-95 Battle of the Bands Throwdown on the Miller High Life stage
11:30 p.m. – Battle of the Bands winner encore performance
Friday
8 a.m. – St. Patrick’s Day Mass will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
10:15 a.m. – The parade kicks off and the route travels throughout the Historic District
2-9 p.m. – Celtic, pop and alternative bands will play on the Miller Lite stage
Noon – 10 p.m. – Folk, country rock, Celtic, Irish and southern rock bands will play on the Miller High Life stage
Saturday
12-10 p.m. – Celtic, alternative, funk and rock bands will play on the Miller Lite Stage, with a Verizon Wireless V CAST Dance Contest at 9:30 p.m.
12:30-10 p.m. – Blues, alternative, country, funk and southern rock will be heard on the Miller High Life stage
Sunday
12-4 p.m. – Battle of the Bands first, second and third place winners will all perform throughout the afternoon on the Miller High Life stage
12-4 p.m. – Alternative and country bands will play on the Miller Lite stage, followed by a Verizon Wireless V CAST Karaoke Contest starting at 3:30 p.m.
Parking and transportation:
The following garages will be open 24 hours a day from Friday through Saturday:
- Bryan Street Garage, Bryan and Abercorn streets, 652-6477
- State Street Garage, State and Abercorn streets, 652-6473
- Robinson Garage, York and Montgomery streets, 651-6478
- Liberty Street Garage, Liberty and Montgomery streets, 644-5934
- A bus will be shuttling from the Kroger parking lot in Richmond Hill to downtown, driven by Noris Toth of Fun Tours. The bus is first-come, first-serve and will do pick-ups on the half-hours and drop-offs downtown on the hours. The last bus will leave downtown at 3:30 a.m. It is $15 one way, $20 round trip and free for children under the age of nine. For more information, call Toth at 323-0410 or 631-8691.
- The CAT-Chatham Shuttle will run from the Oglethorpe Mall to downtown for $5 per adult, free for children under 41 inches, with a limit of two free children per paying customer. Tickets will be sold at the mall, under the parking deck near J.C. Penny’s, on Friday only, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. The schedule and more parking information can be found at www.catchacat.org.
For more information about the St. Patrick's Day Celebration, visit www.savannahstpatricksday.com. For a full list of the entertainment, visit www.riverstreetsavannah.com. Also see www.savannahcitymarket.com for more information. The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Committee can be reached at 233-4804.