The 8th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the festival’s largest and most popular free event, drawing people from all cultures and all walks of life. This colourful (mostly green) spectacle of fabulous sight and sound takes to the street on Sunday March 18, at 11:00 AM.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will follow the same route as in 2011, beginning on Howe and Drake, proceeding north along Howe to Georgia, and ending at Georgia & Granville Streets. Festival organizers estimate crowds exceeding 300,000 will line the route to cheer on the almost-2000 parade participants, which includes award-winning pipe and drum bands, ceremonial units, Celtic music groups, Scottish and Irish dancers, the Vancouver police motorcycle drill team and pipe band, fire brigades, mounted horse drill teams, acrobats, stilt walkers, vintage cars, multi-cultural organizations and performers, local businesses, distinguished guests and much more.
Be sure to also catch the free Celtic entertainment throughout the St. Patrick’s Day weekend in the Celtic Village on Granville Street, downtown Vancouver.
