St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns As One Of Nation’s Oldest

ATLANTA, GA — With no river to dye green, Atlantans will have to make do with Peachtree Street as the thorofare for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

That has been the case since 1858, meaning that when the Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day parade steps off Saturday at noon from in front of the Woodruff Arts Center at 1280 Peachtree Street, it will be one of the nation’s oldest parades.

The whimsical procession of bagpipe and drum corps, clowns, children, drill teams, floats, giant balloons, dancers and other revelers will make their way along the one-mile parade route to Saint Mark United Methodist Church on 5th Street. Former parade chair David Fitzgerald will be the Grand Marshall leading off the parade this year.

Of course, before the parade, sponsor Irish Network Atlanta will host the St. Patrick’s Day 5K, which starts Colony Square in Midtown – on the parade route at the corner of Peachtree Street and 14th Street – and runs through the roads of Midtown and into Piedmont Park before returning to Colony Square to finish on the parade route.

But make sure to bundle up. Frigid, windy weather is expected for Saturday.

The race starts at the top of the morning (9:45 a.m.) and is expected to be complete by 11 a.m., in time for the parade. Meanwhile, post-race and pre-parade fun can be had at Colony Square plaza’s “Luck Of The Square” event.

See also: Freezing Temps, Heavy Thunderstorms, High Winds This Weekend