A limerick is both a city in Ireland and a poem in verse.
There is this city, Savannah
That isn’t so far from Atlanta.
You’ll visit in March
And never be parched.
‘Cause Guinness is basically manna.
The Rainbow Ends on River Street
It’s a long-held Irish belief that the city of Savannah would one day be overtaken by the Irish pride of half a million people. Okay, confession: That isn’t a long-held Irish belief. But it does happen. Each year, Savannah is home to one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country (America, not Ireland). Just for scale, that’s equivalent to over 10% of the population of Ireland descending on Savannah. When the green comes out, it’s definitely a sight to see. Here are a few things that you don’t want to miss:
Greening of the Fountain
Friday, March 9 at noon
A week before the draught beer turns green, the iconic fountain in Savannah’s Forsyth Park will receive a dose of green dye. For some, this inaugural event is what starts the week-long celebration of St. Patrick’s Day(s). This event is free and open to the public.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 16 from 10:15 AM to 2:30 PM
If you’ve never seen a sea of Kelly green, look no further than Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. With an attendance of over 300,000 people each year, the parade will be the second largest in the country. What will you see other than a bunch of red hair? Marching bands, dancers and totally decked-out floats will be, well, parading from Forsyth Park, down to Bay Street, passing City Hall, and back to Harris Street. Please, feel free to river dance, but maybe not in the Savannah River. It’ll be cold.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Friday, March 15-Saturday, March 16, 2019 from 10:00 AM to midnight
Most of the weekend celebrations will take place along River Street and at City Market. Join the masses for dancing, food from all kinds of vendors, live music and dance performances, giveaways and, of course, green beer.
St. Practice Day Bar Crawl
Saturday, March 9 from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
If you’re looking to turn St. Paddy’s into longer celebration, the thing to do is to start earlier. Starting at McDonough’s, you can wind your way through historic Savannah at your own pace and have a drink at several iconic bars and pubs. There will be plenty of drink specials and people clad in green along the way. Participants can also win prizes and take home some free swag.
What You Should Know About Drinking
When you’re in Savannah, please have a great time, but before you can say “pour me a Guinness,” you should know this. During the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, if you want to drink outdoors, you will need to do so in the “control zone.” The east and west boundaries are East Broad Street and MLK Boulevard, respectively. The north and south boundaries are the Savannah River and Broughton Street, respectively. Wristbands are available for purchase on the day of the event for $10.
What You Should Know About Parking
Please be aware that St. Patrick’s Day will bring several road closures. So, unless you want to end up in the parade, be sure to check for road closures before you venture out for the day. A common spot to park will be at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Here, you can pay $20 to park, then ride a free ferry over to all the action. Just pretend like you’re an Irish immigrant landing on Ellis Island.
Are you ready to go green in Savannah? Book your stay today!
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