St. Patrick's Day Events in Charlotte, NC

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? Grab your green derby, put on your bright green shirt and head towards Downtown Charlotte. The Eleventh Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival will be held in Downtown Charlotte on Saturday, March 17, 2007. Both the parade and the festival are free. There is no admission fee to attend either event. The parade will feature bagpipe bands, floats, Irish dancers and drill teams from various community organizations. Irish visitors from the Dublin Bus & Transit Authority will also be part of this year's parade. The festival will have live Irish music, bagpipers, dancers, numerous children activities, food and beverages. Irish dancers from the Walsh Kelley School of Dancing and the Rince na h'Eirehann School of Traditional Irish Dance will be performing. Alcoholic beverages will be sold at the festival until 6:00pm. Free bracelets will be required for purchasing alcoholic beverages.

Charlotte's Saint Patrick Day Parade started in 1996. That year it was a very low key affair. A group of people marched down Tryon Street with a bagpiper. In 1997, the Knights of Columbus and Linda Dyer Hart reinstated the Saint Patrick's Day Parade and started up the first Charlotte Goes Green Festival as well. Since then, the parade has grown in popularity since its humble beginnings. Over 40,000 spectators joined in the festivities last year.

The parade starts at 11:00 am. The parade route will start at the intersection of Tryon and Stonewall Streets next to the Charlotte Observer Building and end at Tryon and Ninth Street in front of the Hal Marshall Building. The festival will begin at 10:00 am and end at 6:30 pm. The festival will be located at the corner of Tryon and Third Streets. The parade and festival will be held rain or shine. Let's hope that we have the luck of the Irish and have a bright, sunny day.

There will be free public parking on the city's streets except for Tryon Street during the parade. Paid parking is available at the Wachovia Atrium and Plaza. The entrance is located on 2nd Street between College and Tryon Streets. 3 Wachovia and The Green Parking Deck are other parking options.

So, mark your calendars for March 17^th! Round up your family and friends and head to Charlotte's Eleventh Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade and the Charlotte Goes Green Festival. Make these festivities a family tradition! Check out www.charlottestpatsday.com for more information.