The West Coast’s largest Irish event celebrating Irish history and culture, the 161st Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival, will take place on Saturday, March 17 from 10am to 5pm in Civic Center Plaza.
The Parade is set to begin at 11:30am at the corner of Market and Second Streets where over a hundred colorful floats, Irish dance troupes and marching bands will wind there way to Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival will showcase the San Francisco’s Irish community, culture and character in all its forms. In recent years the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival has grown to attract an estimated 100,000 people.
This year the Festival will be alcohol free. Over 4-million Californians are of Irish heritage and the Bay Area is home to about 1-million. This year’s theme will highlight the “Past, Present & Future” of Irish influence in San Francisco.
The Festival, at Civic Center Plaza, in front of City Hall, is full of flair, and offers all in attendance the opportunity to truly experience the Irish culture. This year’s Festival features Irish cultural and exhibitor booths, a healthy selection of Irish food and beverages, Irish dancing, live contemporary to traditional music, and a multitude of activities for children such as pony rides, inflatable and mechanical rides and much more.
In addition, the Crossroads Irish-American Festival is an annual literary and cultural festival in San Francisco that celebrates and explores the meaningful heritage of Irish-Americans. This year, the Crossroads Festival will run from March 3 to April 7 and will take place in venues throughout the Bay Area.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival is presented by the United Irish Societies of San Francisco.
For more information about top events in California take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in California.