NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade 2018 Guide: Street Closures, Route

NEW YORK, NY — Members of New York City's Irish community will celebrate their heritage during the annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 17. But the parade doesn't just attract those with Irish roots. People from all over New York City and the surrounding suburbs will put on their best green shirts and head to Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side for nation's largest St. Patrick's Day parade.

Whether you're looking to participate in this year's festivities or looking to avoid them, here's everything you need to know about the New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade:

The parade route:

The parade takes place on Fifth Avenue, starting in Midtown Manhattan and traveling north to the Upper East Side. The parade will begin on East 44th Street and end on East 79th Street this year. Viewing grandstands will also be set up along the route but spectators must purchase tickets to use them.

Start time:

The first group of marchers will kick off at 11 a.m. The parade ends around 5 p.m., which just so happens a perfect time to take the party to a nearby Irish pub for dinner and drinks.

Directions:

The subway will be the best way to get to the parade route. The 4/5/6/F/N/R/W/Q all stop on Lexington Avenue at various points along the parade route. The E/M trains also stop at Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street.

If you're coming into Penn Station from the Long Island Railroad you should catch the uptown E train at Penn Station to the Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street station.

If you're coming into Port Authority from New Jersey your should also catch an uptown E train from Port Authority to the Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street station.

If you're coming into Grand Central Station from the Metro-North Railroad you should catch an uptown 4/5/6 train and get off at any of these stations situation near the parade route: 51st Street, Lexington Avenue and 59th Street, 68th Street and 77th Street.

The Long Island Rail Road is adding 38 total trains into and out of Penn Station on Saturday. Of those 38 trains, 14 will service the Babylon and Montauk line, two will service the Long Beach line, six will service the Port Jefferson line, two will service the Port Washington line and 14 will service the Ronkonkoma line.

The Metro North Railroad is adding seven trains into Grand Central in the morning and will have trains staged in Grand Central during the afternoon and evening ready to depart as needed, the MTA announced. Two of the extra train lines will service the Harlem line, two will service the New Haven line and three will service the Hudson line.

Also: Alcohol is banned on MTA trains heading into and out of New York City this weekend.

Street closures:

Don't even bother trying to drive to the parade. Streets around the parade route will be totally shut down to vehicle traffic to accommodate the overflow of spectators and marchers.

Here's a list of all the streets that will be shut down Saturday.

Formation:

• Vanderbilt Avenue between 43rd Street and 46th Street
• 43rd Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 44th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 45th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 46th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 47th Street between Park Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 48th Street between Park Avenue and 6th Avenue
• 5th Avenue between 42nd Street and 44th Street

Route:

• 5th Avenue between 79th Street and 44th Street

Dispersal:

• 5th Avenue between East 86th Street and 79th Street
• 78th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 79th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 80th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 81st Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 82nd Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 83rd Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 84th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 85th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• Madison Avenue between east 78th Street and East 86th Street

Miscellaneous:

• 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 63rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 64th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 72nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• Madison Avenue between 63rd Street and 64th Street

How to watch from home:

Don't worry. A broadcast of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade can be viewed at NBCNewYork.com starting at 11 a.m. and running to 5 p.m., according to parade organizers.

But if you really want to feel like you're there, Patch can offer you a better way to tune in. Patch will be live-streaming the parade directly from the route. Click here to watch Patch's live coverage of the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade.

Photo by Ramin Talaie/Getty Images News/Getty Images