About 20% of the Pittsburgh metro area’s population claims some Irish heritage — that’s a lot of people dressed in green coming out to celebrate this coming week.
We boast one of the country’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades every year, and Saturday’s festivities are expected to be no different. According to Visit Pittsburgh, the parade typically attracts between 200,000 and 250,000 spectators, and thousands more will participate in the parade itself.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in Downtown Pittsburgh. Here are a few things to know before you don your emerald ensemble and head on down.
Where to go and how to get there
The parade route is about 1.4 miles long through Downtown Pittsburgh. Formation will begin at the Greyhound Bus Station at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Street, where the parade will begin before continuing on to Grant Street and turning right onto the Boulevard of the Allies. From there, it will go on to the Reviewing Stand at Stanwix Street and end at Commonwealth Place.
Street parking will be heavily restricted, with closures starting at 4 a.m. Saturday on Stanwix Street, the Boulevard of the Allies, Fourth Avenue, Wood Street, Forbes Avenue, Smithfield Street and Seventh Avenue.
Garages and lots will be available, and attendees can also attempt to find a place to stash their car in walkable neighborhoods nearby. For those wishing to plan ahead, check out pittsburghparking.com.
Public transportation is always a good way to go, but be informed — more than 40 bus routes will see detours as a result of the parade route, beginning at about 7 a.m. Saturday. You can check schedules and detours at rideprt.org.
Road closures will occur for the parade and the second annual Parade Day Dash, which will feature both a 5K and a one-mile Family Fun Run before the parade starts.
The following roads will close on Saturday at 7 a.m. and will reopen by 10 a.m.:
- West General Robinson Street from Tony Dorsett Drive to Art Rooney Avenue and Mazeroski Way to Federal Street
- Art Rooney Avenue from West General Robinson Street to Reedsdale Street
- Allegheny Avenue from Reedsdale Street to Casino Drive
- North Shore Drive from Casino Drive to Mazeroski Way
- Mazeroski Way from North Shore Drive to West General Robinson Street
- Federal Street from West General Robinson Street to Roberto Clemente Bridge
- Roberto Clemente Bridge
- Sixth Street from Roberto Clemente Bridge to Liberty Avenue
- Market Street from Liberty Avenue to Fifth Avenue
- Fifth Avenue from Market Street to Smithfield Street
- Smithfield Street from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue
- Seventh Avenue from Smithfield Street to Grant Street
- Grant Street from Seventh Avenue to Boulevard of the Allies
- Boulevard of the Allies from Grant Street to Stanwix Street
The following roads will close on Saturday at 4 a.m. and will reopen by 3 p.m. when the parade concludes
Parade route:
- Beginning at 12th Street and Liberty Avenue
- Liberty Avenue from 12th Street to Grant Street
- Grant Street from Liberty Avenue to Boulevard of the Allies
- Boulevard of the Allies from Grant Street to Stanwix Street
- Staging Area: Liberty Avenue from 21st Street to 12th Street
- Recovery Area: Boulevard of the Allies from Stanwix Street to Commonwealth Place
What to Expect
The tradition of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Pittsburgh began more than 150 years ago and has been held every year since 1950. This year’s parade will boast more than 200 marching units, bands and floats. The parade’s committee operates as part of the Irish Society for Education and Charity Inc., a nonprofit organization.
The parade’s Grand Marshal will be 70-year-old Garfield native and Central Catholic High School graduate Patrick J. Byrne, who spent more than 30 years in public service with the City of Pittsburgh, starting as a laborer and rising to the role of supervisor before his retirement. He has also never missed a Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day parade.
This year’s Miss Smiling Irish Eyes is Molly McKenna, a 21-year-old student at St. Mary’s College double majoring in biology and chemistry. The Mt. Lebanon High School graduate is an accomplished Irish dancer and is dedicated to community service and volunteering.
If the parade itself isn’t enough to fill up your Saturday, a whole slew of other events across the city will be held throughout the day. We covered the food and drink related events here.
While there are scores of places to imbibe on the day of the parade, including breweries, pubs and even full-on bar crawls, note that the parade route itself is not one of them. Open containers are not permitted and Pittsburgh Police will be enforcing, so wait until after the parade is over to pick up your green beer.
The festivities will occur rain or shine. Fortunately, as of Wednesday, rain is not predicted for Saturday, with AccuWeather calling for partly cloudy skies and only a 3% chance of precipitation. The high will hang at around 48 degrees, so make sure to buy a green jacket to wear.