A sea of green will make its way through Downtown Pittsburgh on March 16.
What began more than 150 years ago as a way to honor the patron saint of Ireland has evolved into a city-wide celebration held the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day — unless March 17 falls on a Saturday.
The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place beginning at 10 a.m. There will be Irish step dancers, marching bands, military members, community organizations and Miss Smiling Irish Eyes, Madalyn Byrnes, 21, of Springdale.
It is one of the biggest parades in the country. The Irish population in the city of Pittsburgh is second to the Germans — but on St. Patrick’s Day and parade day, everyone is Irish.
Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said Friday in a statement that all the bureaus under his command — including police, fire and emergency medical services — have been preparing for months to keep the parade safe.
“No Parking” signs have been placed along the parade route. Tagging and towing will begin at 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the city.
Pittsburgh police will be fully staffed Downtown, on the South Side and the North Shore with support from the Allegheny County Police, Pennsylvania State Police and Pittsburgh Regional Transit police.
City firefighters, paramedics, crossing guards and members of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will also be working.
Here is some good information to know.
Time
The event starts at 10 a.m. It is expected to last about 3 ½ hours.
The parade route is 1.4 miles and typically attracts from 200,000-350,000 spectators.

There will be more than 200 marching units, bands and floats and 20,000 participants. Before the parade begins, there is an 8 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick’s in the Strip District. Bishop David Zubik is expected to celebrate the Mass and bless the parade.
Weather forecast
Pittsburgh will have better weather than last year, said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
It will be chilly, around 30 degrees, when the parade starts, with partly sunny skies and gradual clearing mid-day with highs in the 50s. There may be some wind gusts of 8-10 miles per hour, so make sure balloons on floats are tied down, Hendricks said. The wind will pick up later in the day.
“There is no chance of rain,” Hendricks said. “And no chance of snow, at least for parade day. It should be a good day for a parade.”
Normal temperatures for the day are a high of 49 degrees and a low of 30. The record high was 78 degrees in 1945 and a record low of 4 degrees was recorded in 1911.
“The forecast is in the normal range,” said John Darnley, observation program leader for the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. “But we all know it has snowed on parade day before.”
Yes, it has, for the parade 31 years ago — the Blizzard of ’93.
Getting around
The final weekend of the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show coincides with parade day. Parking and getting to the parade route could be challenging.
The parade begins not far from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center where the home show is happening. It is best to avoid Liberty Avenue and 11th Street because that is where parade participants will be staged. Most of that area will be closed to traffic by 7:30 a.m., as it has been in past years.
In the past, the Department of Public Safety has recommended additional parking options on the North Shore and Station Square, which both have access to the subway.
Street parking will be heavily restricted along the route and close to it. Parking will be free in the Second Avenue Parking Plaza, Downtown.
Visit the Parking Authority’s website for a list of downtown lots and garages and their rates.
The Department of Public Safety encourages parade attendees to have a designated driver or use rideshare platforms or public transit. For those on the South Side, there will be assigned pick-up and drop-off lanes at S. 18th Street from E. Carson to Wrights Way and at 20-26 Bedford Square off of S. 12th Street.
Featured Local Businesses
Pittsburgh Regional Transit schedules for bus and T service will have detours Downtown, according to a spokesman. Most bus routes are usually back to regular schedules by 3 p.m. Check the website for updated information during parade week.
The parade begins at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Streets, then continues on to Grant Street, where it turns right onto the Boulevard of the Allies. From there, the parade proceeds to the reviewing stand at Stanwix Street. It will end at Commonwealth Place.
Streets along the parade route are usually shut down on a rolling basis. As for when the streets reopen, there will be sort of “rolling opens” of the streets when it is safe to do so.
Grand Marshal
The Irish Society for Education and Charity, Inc. named Robert Tierney of Brookline the Grand Marshal of the parade.
Born in Lucan, near Dublin, Ireland, Tierney first came to Pittsburgh in 1997, leading groups of young people from Ireland who were experiencing inter-generational unemployment and sectarianism.

He returned to Pittsburgh to work with the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh and to reconnect with the Gaelic Athletic Association. “The [Grand Marshal] sash represents the tireless work of thousands of Irish American volunteers, throughout this region and beyond,” Tierney said in a statement. “We stand on the shoulders of those that have come before us, and ensure that our traditions, culture, and sports are kept alive and well for future generations to experience and love – Ní neart go cur le chéile (there is no strength without unity).”
Dining
Several establishments will be serving up food and drink specials. Market Square has traditionally been a gathering spot pre- and post-parade.
Ritual House in the Union Trust Building will be featuring pub-style braised corn beef with cabbage and red potatoes and bangers (sausages) and mash, with caramelized onion, Jameson gravy and sweet peas. They will also serve green beer and a Sip on the End of the Rainbow cocktail made with Malibu rum, honeydew, coconut milk, pistachio and Lucky Charms, and the Feeling Lucky Shot made with house vodka, sour apple schnapps, Midori, lime and lemon.

Baileys mint chocolate chip milkshakes will be available all week – with the option to pair with a mini bottle of Jameson.
The Commoner, inside Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh, will have kegs and eggs on the menu for the establishment’s brunch on parade day and St. Patrick’s Day.
There will be corned brisket hash with Guinness glaze and a fried egg or breakfast hash featuring short rib, seasonal vegetables, poached egg and apple cider glaze. The bar will be crafting Irish beverages and of course, green beer.

City Works Eatery & Pour House in PPG Place will offer a breakfast buffet of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, bacon, breakfast sausage links, fruit salad, Bailey’s and vanilla ice cream battered French toast and Irish corned beef hash, as well as drink specials from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. of green Miller Lite, Guinness, bloody Marys and mimosas.
Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District opens at 8 a.m. to serve breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. There will be 12 hours of live music beginning at noon.
Public safety
Public safety officials said they will begin towing vehicles parked along the parade route – which includes Grant Street, Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street – at 6 a.m. Saturday. No parking signs have already been posted along the route, officials said.
Officials declined to say how many police officers would be patrolling the parade and other busy areas during the celebrations, but Assistant Chief Richard Ford said they’ll be fully staffed without forcing officers to work mandatory overtime. Some officers will be pulled into busier areas from other zones, he said.
Officers – including those assigned to a special patrol focused on the South Side’s East Carson Street entertainment district – will be on the lookout for fighting, open container violations, public intoxication and other disruptions, said Zone 3 police Cmdr. Jeffery Abraham.
Featured Local Businesses
Starting Saturday, the dedicated South Side entertainment patrol will open a “long overdue” substation on Mary Street where officers can conduct roll call and complete paperwork “close to the action,” Abraham said. The substation will be open Wednesdays through Sundays.
Other preparations for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities include dedicated rideshare pickup lanes on South 18th Street and Bedford Square in the South Side and extra law enforcement support from county and state police.
Officials are anticipating about 200,000 people will be in attendance at the parade.
Ford urged people to be aware of rolling closures – which should end when the parade ends around 2 p.m. – and the added traffic from other nearby events, like a 3 p.m. Penguins home game and the home and garden show at the convention center.
Abraham encouraged people to consider parking farther away and walking to their destination or using rideshare and public transit options.
“We wish everyone a very safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day, and we remind everybody to please drink responsibly,” he said.
Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, credited public safety and public works officials for their efforts to prepare a safe event and to manage the clean-up process after the festivities wrap up.
“St. Patrick’s Day is always a fun time in the South Side,” he said.
Details: pittsburghstpatricksdayparade.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people and a weekly column about things to do in Pittsburgh. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.