Images by John Alexander

St. Patrick’s Celebration on the River will be Thursday, March 17 from 8am – 12am (Entertainment) / 2:30am (Food and Beverage Stations). Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19, hours from 10am – 12am (Entertainment) / 2:30am (Food and Beverage Stations). The City of Savannah has declared the entire event a Wristband free zone. River Street may close as early as Wednesday morning. And is expected to be re-opened Sunday. Two (2) Savannah Belle’s Ferries will run from 7am to 6pm on March 17; one (1) will run from 6pm to midnight. Dottie, the River Street streetcar, will not run during the festival. River Street Public Parking Lots will closed to the public beginning Tuesday, March 15 and will reopen Monday, March 21.

River Street has always been a downtown hot spot, but throw in St. Patrick’s Day and over 300,000 people for the perfect combination. With over 70 restaurants, bars and shops to choose from, the St. Patrick’s Celebration on the River is sure to make for a good time. The celebration will be held from Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19 with live entertainment, food, beverages, games and contests. The event is wristband-free and is presented by Verizon Wireless and Southern Eagle.

With only a few days left to get your green gear, here are some ideas for the fun, festive and fashionable parade attendee:

In preparation of Saint Patrick’s Day, the annual Celtic Cross Mass was held at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist on Sunday, March 13, at 11:30 p.m. followed by the Celtic Cross Memorial at Emmet Park. A wreath ceremony paid tribute to the Irish heritage’s past, present and future.

Images by John Alexander

Join Drew & Shazi for a 10 a.m. workout and Fitness Seminar, in the historic Bryson Hall event space facing Chippewa Square. Tasting brunch follows.

Suggested donation is $25 but all are welcome, proceeds to benefit Childhood Obesity Prevention & Education (COPE). Fun continues with an entire afternoon block party with demonstrations.

Start the St. Patrick’s Day celebration early this year. The Irish are coming to Tybee Island Saturday March 12th for the 9th Annual Tybee Island Irish Heritage Parade. The parade will start at 3 p.m. and proceed down Butler Avenue to end on the Strand by the pier.

There will be lots of families, bands, bagpipers, festive floats, the Alee Temple Shriners and straight from the Bahamas Junkanoo legends Barabbas and The Tribe! Good places to catch the parade are Butler Avenue between 6th and 10th Street and 12th Street on down. You are invited to join in this Irish Celebration, Tybee style!

Savannah’s first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was in 1813, only 80 years after the city was founded by General James Oglethorpe. A small group of Hibernians organized and marched on the streets of Savannah to remember the death of our Patron Saint, Saint Patrick of Ireland. Over the years the city prospered with Irish immigrants due to the potato famine and political persecution their country faced. We are proud to carry on the tradition our ancestors began almost 200 years ago. The Greening of the Fountain in Forsyth Park is just one of the many events celebrating the Irish tradition. We welcome you to attend any and all of these events and learn about our rich Irish heritage.

Visit www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com or call (912) 233-4804 for more information.

Celebrate all things Irish at City Market, featuring live entertainment, food and beverage booths, souvenirs for sale and more.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

More Info: http://www.savannahcitymarket.com/

St. Patrick’s Day is not only a religious holiday; for Savannahians and tourists alike, it’s one of the most hallowed party days (or weeks) of the year. Unless you have the luck of the Irish, you’ll probably want to do some pre-party planning. South magazine has you covered with our guide to the best places to Play on St. Patrick’s Day!

For the truly authentic St. Paddy’s experience, head to Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub on River Street. This Savannah classic has been serving up traditional Irish fare and live Irish music for almost 30 years! This year they have a great lineup of musicians for the whole week, featuring Irish folk musicians Carroll Brown, Frank Emerson, and Harry O’Donoghue.

Murphy’s Law, located at Congress and Montgomery, is another authentic Irish pub and just happens to be the home bar of the Savannah Shamrocks rugby team. Their St. Patrick’s Day rugby tournament over the weekend hosted over 80 teams from all over the world, and Rugby Magazine has listed them as one of the top rugby bars in America.