Dublin St. Patrick's Day 2025: What To Know

DUBLIN, CA — It’s finally Dublin’s time to shine, even if the sun won’t be doing much of it. But the Irish-style weather will be the perfect fit for Dublin’s world-famous celebration of all things Irish: the St. Patrick’s Day facilities. Here are some key things to know as we head into this fun-filled weekend.

App

There’s so much going on that it can be hard to keep track. To have everything you need to know in your pocket, download the DublinCAEvent app. It provides information on each of the events, a list of entertainment, a map, and information on parking, transportation, vendors, and frequently asked questions. You can also add events to a “My Schedule” section of the app to have a clear map of the day.

Main Events

• Dublin Historical Society’s Shamrock Gala. Friday at 6 p.m. Shannon Community Center. Kick off the festivities with dinner, dancing, and the company of the Dublin City Council and representatives from Bray, Ireland.
• Firefighters Pancake Breakfast: Saturday from 7-10 a.m. Dublin Fire Station #16, 7494 Donohue Drive. Support the firefighters charitable foundation with a delicious hot pancake and sausage breakfast fresh off the griddle, cooked by local firefighters.
• 41st St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. The famed Dublin Rotary Club parade will start at Dublin Boulevard and Amador Plaza Road, travel east on Dublin Boulevard, north on Village Parkway, and west on Amador Valley Boulevard, and end near the Dublin Senior Center. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to watch from along the parade route.
• Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk: All are welcome to run or walk this 5K course. Registration is still available here. The 3.1-mile race offers special discounts for families, corporations, and non-timed runners. Participants can also take part in an untimed run or walk. After the race, participants will enjoy a celebration with refreshments, entertainment, and a prize drawing. Race packet pickup is available for $25 Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sports Basement at 1041 Market Place in San Ramon.

Top Attractions

• Three stages of Irish music and dance: Enjoy everything from traditional Irish folk music to Celtic rock to bagpipes performing throughout the weekend on two stages. Irish performers. Irish dancers will perform on the Dance Stage. See here for a complete schedule.
• International Food Court: Travel to Ireland through corned Irish delicacies like corned beef sliders, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and Guinness-marinated trip tip on Irish soda bread. Travel around the rest of the world with traditional favorites like kettle corn and corn dogs, and international choices like teriyaki chicken and beef kabobs.
• Over 250 vendor stalls: The Irish Marketplace features Celtic artwork, Irish tartans, hand knit wool sweaters, shawls, beautiful Celtic jewelry, and more. Other vendors include arts and crafts booths, commercial vendors, nonprofit groups, and sponsors.

Sheaf-off & Caber Challenge

Feeling feisty? For this first time, this year will feature Highland Games competitions that involve tossing a burlap bag filled with hay (a “sheaf”) over a bar using a pitchfork, and a challenge to flip over a huge wooden log (caber) usually about 20 feet long and up to 175 pounds. The Sheaf for Height challenge will take place in the morning and the Caber Challenge will take place in the afternoon. The women’s competition is scheduled for Saturday and the men’s competition is scheduled for Sunday.

This exciting new addition to the festivities is sponsored by the South Bay Scottish Society in partnership with the City of Dublin.

Parking

Parking is available at these approved locations:

• Crossroads Office Center – 6375-6377 Clark Ave.
• DSRSD – 7051 Dublin Blvd.
• 6400 Sierra Ct. (front lot only)
• Ewing Irrigation – 6640 Sierra Ln.
• Zeiss Meditec – 5300 Central Pkwy. (Shuttle Stop)

Transportation

Free shuttle services run between the above parking lots and the festival grounds at the Dublin Civic Center. Wheels Buses are running between the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station to the festival. The LAVTA Rapid 30R is available to the East and West Dublin BART stations.

Road Closures

See here for a complete list of closures occurring during the parade and the Shamrock 5K.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. Typical shifts last three hours on Saturday or Sunday, and volunteers can sign up for as many or as few as they’d like. See here to sign up. Print a copy of the volunteer waiver and bring a copy with you to the festival. Contact taralyn.wood@dublin.ca.gov for more information.

Carnival Ticket Pre-Sales

Tickets for unlimited rides and a Fastpass wristband costs $50 per day per person. An unlimited ride wristband without the Fastpass costs $40 per day per person. See here to pre-purchase.

For all other information, see the city’s St. Patrick’s Day website.

See Also: Pleasanton St. Patrick's Day Brew Crawl Tickets Available