St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Sac

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This Saturday, March 16, 2013 is the 17th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Sacramento.  This is one of our family’s favorite traditions! Although we’ve attended in more recent years, this photo above of the kids when they were smaller still makes me smile! Dress up in green and go celebrate the luck of the Irish!

The parade will start off at 1:00 pm from 2nd & L Streets and proceeds throughout the historic district. Although the parade is popular and the streets are crowded, we have never had a problem finding a great spot to camp out and watch. I recommend arriving about an hour early to have plenty of time to park and scout out your spot on the route. We always bring along lunch and snacks so the kids can eat while we’re waiting for the parade to begin.

Over 50 units, with approximately 1,000 marchers, will be featured. Irish dancers in elaborate Celtic costumes, bagpipers, school bands, military regiments, police and fire representatives, costumed marchers and a variety of cultural organizations will bring the luck of the Irish to the event.

All Old Sacramento streets will be closed to traffic from noon to 3:00 p.m., so plan to park in one of the parking structures.  Parking for events is usually a flat fee of around $8.00.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Written by Keilah Woodard

Keilah Woodard

My love for exploring and creating experiences with my three kids led to the founding of SacramentoSidetracks.com in 2009. I realized that Sacramento has so much to offer and I was excited to share my findings with other parents. Besides simply having fun, these are the other positive side effects of taking my kids on outings that I’ve discovered: we have quality time together away from the distractions at home, we cultivate our curiosity, learn new things, conversations are triggered by what we see and do, we connect and bond as a family, and we create new memories. Ready to get sidetracked, too? Let me be your guide!