Photo by Michael Yatsko Photography
March is the luckiest month to be in downtown Harrisburg! With a schedule packed full of activities, festivals, and more, there is something to do nearly every weekend. The Harrisburg St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Presented by Brew Barons Beer Trail stands at the top of that list. Held on Saturday, March 15, starting at 2 p.m. in downtown Harrisburg, it contains a wide assortment of community groups, bands, characters, and other fun figures and organizations. It draws crowds of people from across the commonwealth.
Photo by Michael Yatsko Photography
Bicyclists and bicycle enthusiasts are encouraged to join the Harrisburg Bicycle Club as they pedal along the nearly one-mile-long parade route. Cool cars, motorcycles, and scooters from Blue Moon Cruisers, Three Mile Island Scooter Club, Central PA Slingshot Riders, and the Buffalo Soldier Cavalry Scouts Motorcycle Club will rev their engines along Second Street, and the “Roller Pride” marching band will be proudly representing the Steelton-Highspire junior and high school. The iconic sound of bagpipe music from Lancaster-based Ceol Neamh Pipe Band and the Nittany Highland Pipe and Drum Band will transport you to the majestic Scottish Highlands. Adoptable animals will be featured in the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area entry, and stately Irish Wolfhounds from the Potomac Valley Irish Wolfhound Club will be on the march, along with dozens of other groups!
Lucky Charm Race
Prior to the parade is the Lucky Charm 4-Miler, starting at noon. Runners are welcomed and encouraged to stay for the parade festivities after they are finished with the race! For more race info or to register to run, please visit https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Harrisburg/LuckyCharm5k10k
Parking & Parade Route
Other Celebrations
The St. Patrick’s action is all day in Harrisburg! In downtown, both Bourbon Street Saloon and Nocturnal are holding parade day St. Patrick’s parties. Bourbon Street Saloon opens their doors at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with local band Smooth Like Clyde performing from 5-8 p.m. Nocturnal will have their arcade floor open at 11 a.m. with special themed drinks and DJ Action Jackson performing on the second floor from 3-8 p.m.
Join Crawl With Us for a bar crawl across the city from 4pm to 12 am. This festive crawl includes 2–3 drinks or shots, exclusive drink and food specials at select venues plus more! Get all the details here.
For fun with the family, head to the new Roller Rink on City Island's Carousel Pavilion for St. Paddys Day Skate on March 14th and 15th where the $2 skate rental fee will be waived for anyone wearing green!
High Dive is hosting an unforgettable Paddy's Weekend, kicking off with McGinley Irish Dance at 5 p.m. on Friday, doors open early, at 12 p.m. on Saturday and there will be drink and food specials all weekend!
Parking
For visitors, the Market Square parking garage (on Second and Chestnut streets) will be offering $10 event parking all day. Free parking is also available after 5 p.m. in the downtown district. Roads will be closed for the parade route starting at 9 a.m. on the East Shore, and the Market Street Bridge will be accessible only to parade participants by 11 a.m. on the West Shore entrance.
The Harrisburg St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Presented by Brew Barons Beer Trail is made possible from generous community sponsors Visit Hershey-Harrisburg, Cargill, Wilsbach Distributors, Zembie’s Sports Tavern, PA Skill & Capital Vending, Ace Distributing, Explore Harrisburg, Bourbon Street Saloon, JB Lovedraft’s MicroPub, Nocturnal, Fleet Feet, Capital Blue Cross, Sheetz, Ross Productions, and Park Harrisburg.
For more information about the parade, such as a map of the route, road closures, and parking information, please visit www.HarrisburgStPatricksDayParade.com. We can’t wait to see you downtown!
