Erin Go Bragh! Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day 2020 in Savannah, Hilton Head
Note: Both the Hilton Head Island and Savannah St. Patrick’s Day festivities have been canceled due to coronavirus precautions. An updated version of this story can be found here. Check www.islandpacket.com for the most up-to-date information. This story will no longer be updated.
The Lowcountry has long been partial to celebrations honoring Irish heritage and Saint Patrick.
Parades featuring marching bands, floats and civic groups turn local streets green as locals come for a good time and, if the weather cooperates, a beautiful day outdoors.
This year, celebrations between Hilton Head Island and Savannah will be timed a little differently.
The Savannah parade and weekend festival will happen on consecutive days rather than concurrently, according to the event’s website.
Neither event is being canceled due to potential coronavirus fears as of Wednesday morning, although event organizers in Savannah and on Hilton Head urged anyone who does not feel well to stay home.
Here’s what you need to know about the festivities and how to get there:
Savannah
Weekend festival
Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day festival will run Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15 in downtown Savannah:
- Friday - 6 pm to midnight
- Saturday - 10 am to midnight
- Sunday - 10 am to 6pm
The festival will have food and drink tents, live music and photo booths throughout picturesque downtown Savannah.
To go to the festival, held between Broughton Street and the riverfront, you must be 21 or older and buy a $10 wristband.
Here some reminders from the City of Savannah about wristbands:
- Valid ID is required to buy a wristband.
- Wristbands are required for those drinking alcoholic beverages outside on public streets in the festival zone.
- Wristbands are not required inside of establishments serving alcohol.
- If you’re looking to join the party for more than one day you must buy a separate wristband each day.
- You can purchase a wristband ahead of time with cash or a credit card, but all onsite wristband sales during the festival are cash-only.
- Festival bars are cash only. ATMs are located throughout the festival zone.
More information on rules can be found on the event’s website.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Savannah’s parade will step off at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 17.
“Because this year’s parade falls on a Tuesday, the festival and parade will be separated by one day. There will not be a street party on Tuesday, March 17,” the city’s website says.
The 196th parade will start at Abercorn and Gwinnett streets and wind through the downtown historic district.
More information about parking and bleachers can be found on the parade’s website.
Hilton Head Island
The 37th annual Hilton Head Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Parade — South Carolina’s oldest — will step off at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15.
It will march up Pope Avenue and end at Office Park Road on the island’s south end, and feature marching bands, floats and marching groups from local organizations. The 27-foot-long Oscar Mayer Weinermobile will also appear in the parade.
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This year’s parade marshals are Gloria and Allan LaCoe, two island Realtors who helped organize the annual free Thanksgiving Day dinner at Hudson’s Seafood on the Docks.
Nearly 30,000 people crowd Pope Avenue for the parade each year, so get there early to stake out your spot!
Parade organizers recommend getting to the south end around noon and grabbing lunch to avoid last-minute crowds.
Parking is limited on the south end, so prepare to walk. Near the start of Pope Avenue, the University of South Carolina-Beaufort campus on Hilton Head has hundreds of parking spaces for parade attendees.
Getting to Savannah
Once again, a ferry is running from Hilton Head Island to Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day.
Vagabond Cruises is providing two ferry services from Harbour Town in Sea Pines to Savannah. One leaves the south end at 8 a.m.; another leaves at noon on March 17.
The cruises cost $79.95 per person, and tickets can be purchased online.
Parking passes for Savannah garages on parade day are available online.
A daytime shuttle will bring people to the parade from the Westside Shopping Center on U.S. 80 in Garden City, the Island Towne Centre on U.S. 80 on Whitemarsh Island, and the Savannah Mall to the Intermodal Transit Center on Oglethorpe Avenue.
More information about Savannah parking and taxi rates can be found on the city’s website.
Erin Go Bragh!
An important part of your Irish trivia knowledge: The popular saying translates to “Ireland ‘till the end of time,” or “Ireland forever.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 11:28 AM.
