Know Your 704

What to know about getting around uptown during The Charlotte Saint Patrick Day Parade

By Chyna Blackmon
St. Ann Catholic School float featuring St. Patrick during Saturday’s 22nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival. The parade, which is produced by the nonprofit Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day parade Foundation and drew large crowds, started at 11 am at N Tryon St. and 9th Street in uptown Charlotte, marched south to 3rd Street, took a left and went down 3rd to Caldwell. Jon Hannan was the grand marshal. He is the former fire chief and Homeland Security Director for the city of Charlotte The free festival is on S Tryon St. between 3rd Street and Stonewall, and runs from 10 am - 6 pm. It features Irish music, dancers, bagpipers, food and children’s amusements.
St. Ann Catholic School float featuring St. Patrick during Saturday’s 22nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival. The parade, which is produced by the nonprofit Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day parade Foundation and drew large crowds, started at 11 am at N Tryon St. and 9th Street in uptown Charlotte, marched south to 3rd Street, took a left and went down 3rd to Caldwell. Jon Hannan was the grand marshal. He is the former fire chief and Homeland Security Director for the city of Charlotte The free festival is on S Tryon St. between 3rd Street and Stonewall, and runs from 10 am - 6 pm. It features Irish music, dancers, bagpipers, food and children’s amusements. Diedra Laird dlaird@charlotteobserver.com

The streets of uptown Charlotte will be a sea of green ahead of St. Patrick’s Day with multiple events planned throughout the city.

The Charlotte Saint Patrick’s Day parade and festival is back for the first time in years after a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Best to find a spot early, as a second major uptown event could add to the challenge of getting around by car in uptown Saturday: Charlotte FC’s match against Atlanta United at Bank of America Stadium.

The MLS game kicks off at 12:20 p.m., and several streets will be closed near the stadium for hours before and after the game, according to the Charlotte Department of Transportation.

Parts of Fourth Street, Church Street, Graham Street, Brooklyn Village Avenue, Mint Street, Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and Morehead Street will be closed, according to a CDOT street closures map.

Organizers say they anticipate about 100,000 people to attend the parade and accompanying St. Patrick’s Day festival on Saturday. There will be a parade spotlighting floats, Irish dancers and bands along with a day-long festival featuring more than 30 craft and food vendors, including Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp beers.

When: Saturday, March 11. The parade is scheduled for 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. The festival runs from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m..

Where: Tryon and East Third streets in uptown Charlotte.

Charlotte St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee

The parade will kick off at East 9th Street and North Tryon Street and end at the corner of East 3rd Street and South Caldwell Street. The festival will be located near the Charlotte Convention Center on South Tryon Street.

Where to park: There will not be a designated parking area for the event, but there are several city on-street meters and pay stations with hourly rates, organizers say It is also recommended paradegoers use the CATS LYNX Blue Line to attend.

Cost: Free. Prepare to bring cash and debit or credit cards to shop from vendors at the festival.

Charlotte Observer reporter Joe Marusak contributed to this story.

This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

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