Is Savannah still having St Patricks Day parade?

Hello and Welcome to the Official Website of the Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee!

What a day we all had on March 17th this year. I'll never forget the smiles on everyone's faces all throughout the day. The parade was wonderful, but I am sure everyone was just happy to be together again.

I heard Fr. Frank from Benedictine mention that the Parade Committee and the events we put on are such an important part of our community's identity. After I saw the excitement and appreciation from the people in our community, I truly believe in that statement. When you take away a part of someone's identity, that person changes and is incomplete. Now that the parade has returned, that missing piece of our identity is back again. We are all in a more comfortable place and feel a sense of normalcy that we have all be waiting on.

Thank you all for your patience and support as we tried to honor our mission of keeping St. Patrick in the forefront last year and finally getting back on the streets this year. We know hope you appreciated all of the hard work that was put into the celebrations over the last two years. They may have been different, but we kept our purpose as a priority. I want to thank my fellow officers, my executive committee, and all of our adjutants that helped put on so many successful events. I would also like to thank Bishop Parkes and the diocese, our Irish Community, Mayor Van Johnson and the city employees and officials, the law enforcement and emergency units, and all of our visitors to the city. We successfully put forth many public events and were able to elect a superb Grand Marshal to represent us along the journey. Danny Powers was and is a gentleman who understands the reason why we continue to honor our heritage, our culture, and our faith year after year.

The parade is officially back and we can all look forward to another great year in 2023.

John P. Fogarty
General Chairman

About the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee: The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization. Since 1824, the committee has organized and presented special events leading up to and including the parade.

Savannah St Patrick’s Day Parade Rules and Regulations

1. All entries must provide family-oriented entertainment consistent with this celebration in honor of Saint Patrick and Irish-American heritage.

2. Each entry shall be responsible for the conduct of all of its participants.

3. Attire appropriate to the occasion is required of all participants.

4. NO ALCOHOL is allowed in the parade. No cups or glassware are allowed in the parade. Bottled water or canned soft drinks are allowed.

5. No objects may be handed out, distributed, or thrown by any entry or participant, including marchers, floats, and vehicles associated with the entry.

6. No participant may undertake any dangerous or noxious activities in the Parade. No cooking is permitted in the Parade.

7. The Parade Committee has the right to inspect all units prior to and during the Parade.

8. The driver of each vehicle must be a qualified, licensed driver 21 years of age or older. During the Parade, each vehicle must maintain a safe distance from the preceding unit.

9. All vehicle entries must be covered by liability insurance to the satisfaction of the Parade Committee. Proof of insurance must be provided with the application.

10. The size of a float shall be limited to 30 feet in length (for the trailer portion), 10 feet in width and 12 feet in height.

11. The Parade Committee shall have the power to regulate the amount and scope of advertisement. Advertisement is limited to the Applicant, and only to the extent stated in the application and approved by the Parade Committee. Applicants who hold political office may be accepted to represent the office they now hold, not as the candidate for any office. No campaign buttons, signs or apparel will be allowed.

12. The Parade Committee reserves the right to exclude from participation, in the Parade or in the Official Program, any entry which it considers to be advocating or promoting a particular purpose, principle, agenda, or message inconsistent with or contrary to those of the Parade.

Any further information, please contact the Committee at [email protected] or at 912-233-4804.

Official St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Pictures provided by www.baileydavidson.com: Photo Gallery

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

After a long two years without a parade, Savannah is looking forward to the return of one of our greatest traditions, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  The 2022 Parade will be held on Thursday, March 17. As is tradition, the Parade begins at 10:15 a.m. following celebration of Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.  Detailed information about the 2022 Parade can be found at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee website: Savannah Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee | The Official Site . 

2022 Changes to the Celebration of St. Patrick

In April 2021, Mayor Van Johnson appointed a Community Committee to look at how the celebration of Saint Patrick in Savannah could be improved to focus on the local, familial, religious, and cultural aspects of the holiday.  After several months of deliberation, the Community Committee recommended, and City Council adopted a resolution 2022 St. Pats Resolution with the following changes:

Temporarily extend the boundary of the to go cup zone to expand the opportunity for local businesses on Saint Patrick’s Day only.

Benefits: 

•Local bars and restaurants located within the expanded zone will be able to serve to-go cups to patrons.  

•Bring attention to other corridors and areas in Savannah so that local businesses can be a part of the celebration.

Suspend the issuance of permits for entertainment and/or alcohol and food sales on the public right-of-way from Thursday, March 17th through Sunday, March 20th.

Benefits: 

•Eliminate competition between on-street vendors and bars and restaurants for food and alcohol sales.

•Allow bars and restaurants to hire and manage their own entertainment for patrons.

Suspend the issuance of any out-of-town motorcoach parking permits in the To Go Cup Area  from Thursday, March 17th through Sunday, March 20th.

This provision will not apply to local transportation service companies that provide shuttle services.  These companies must register with the City of Savannah and will be required to provide, at a minimum, routes and pick up and drop off locations and times. For more information about shuttles and parking, please visit Mobility and Parking.

Benefits:

•Eliminate additional SPD and Parking needs to manage the arrival and departure of motorcoaches.

•Reduce the number of already intoxicated individuals in the River Street and City Market Areas.

What's the BIGGEST change for Saint Patrick's Day????

NO KISSING!!!! For years, parade-goers have breached the parade attendants to kiss their favorite soldiers and parade walkers.  In the day and age of COVID, please be mindful of social distancing and personal space.  DO NOT BREAK INTO THE PARADE TO KISS ANYONE!!!

Keeping the "Green" in Saint Patrick's Day

There is nothing more beautiful than Savannah's squares in the springtime! Help the City keep Savannah clean during Saint Patrick's Day.  We've all either seen images of ruined squares and littered streets after Saint Pats.  We all need to do our part to keep our squares clean and litter free.  If you are planning to attend the parade, bring your own trash bags, pack it in - pack it out.  Visit Here for more about what is/isn't allowed.

Parking on Saint Patrick's Day

When you consider how you will get to the parade, think about grabbing a shuttle or having someone drop you off.  You can avoid heavy traffic and trying to find a parking space.  If you must bring your car, the City's Parking and Mobility Department is selling parking garage passes.  Visit St. Pats Parking for more information.

Planning to Watch the Parade from a Square

Several years ago, the City of Savannah instituted the "Land Rush" for square set-up. Believe it or not, St. Pats revelers spend the night on the street hoping to get one of these coveted parade-watching locations.  There are some Land Rush Rules that apply. We also ask that you bring your common sense!!!

Hungry on Saint Patrick's Day?

We want to encourage everyone to patronize our local restaurants and bars; however, we know that sometimes you might want to grab something fast. To satisfy your hunger with some local cuisine, we will also have Food Trucks on Bay Street between Whitaker and Bull Streets.

More Questions about Saint Patrick's Day?

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions Here.

Get St. Patrick’s Breaking News on Twitter or Facebook

While St. Patrick’s Day is a wonderful celebration, it can be a disruption to downtown residents and businesses. In an effort to keep you informed about those disruptions, or any other changes, the City is using the tools of Facebook and Twitter. We’ll be using social media to alert the public to the local ordinances which pertain to parade and festival participants and spectators. During the festival, we will post updates regarding traffic, street closures, parking and other public safety information.

To receive these alerts, "like" the City’s St. Pat’s Facebook page here. 

For live updates throughout the weekend, follow the City on Twitter.

Follow Savannah PD for breaking traffic information and road closures. 

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