2012 St. Patrick’s Day parades, festivals and events in Florida

Wherever you are in Florida this March, there will be a St. Patrick’s Day parade, festival or event nearby.

Boca Raton – March 17, 2012:

On Saturday, March 17, Boca Raton will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a decorated golf cart parade, Irish music and children’s activities at Mizner Park. The parade starts at noon at Mizner’s Plaza Real and will travel to Royal Palm Place and back. Other activities will begin at 1:30 p.m. The Festival of the Arts “St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza,” starts at 3 p.m. with a free show by the Drake Irish Dancers and fiddler James Kelly. A concert by the Celtic rock band Seven Nations begins at 6:00 PM at the Mizner Park amphitheater.

Cape Coral – March 3 & 4, 2012:

The 8th annual Irish Festival of Cape Coral will take place on Saturday, March 3 and Sunday, March 4, 2012 at The Bavarian Gardens of the German American Social Club located at 2101 W. Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, FL. The Bavarian Gardens provides plentiful shade in a park-like setting. There is seating for over 1000 people with tables and umbrellas. There is also a large amount of free parking. On Saturday, the festival hours are 11AM to 10PM. On Sunday, the festival starts at 11AM with a Catholic Mass and continues until 8PM. Event Website

Coral Gables – March 10, 2012:

The 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival will take place on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park (2800 Ponce de Leon Boulevard) in Coral Gables FL. The Festival will combine family-oriented music and entertainment, a variety traditional Irish food, such as corned beef and cabbage and fresh Irish soda bread, and a wide array of spirits and other beverages. The entertainment will also include many children’s activities, including clowns, face painting, a giant slide and a rock-wall-climbing. A wide variety of Irish crafts will be available for sale by high quality vendors. The Festival begins at Noon. Event Website

Delray Beach – March 17, 2012:

The 44th annual Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Party and the world’s largest international fire service appreciation parade will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2012 in downtown Delray Beach (from the south end of Old School Square along Atlantic Avenue). For 44 years, Delray Beach has hosted Florida’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade. Before and after the parade, there will be a party featuring Irish music, food, drinks and select number of vendors. The festivities begin at 11:00AM and continue until 7:30 PM. Event Website

Hollywood – March 11, 2012:

For 14 years, the Hibernians of Hollywood have teamed with the City of Hollywood to put on a St. Patrick’s Day parade and festival. Celebrate all things Irish with pipe bands, including the famous New York Police Department Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Corps, marching bands and dozens of floats. Traditional Irish bands will entertain the crowd at 19th Ave. and Hollywood Blvd. throughout the afternoon, featuring UV – The U2 Tribute Show. There will be plenty of activities for the kids, including the Lucky Roll Giant Dice Game, the End of the Rainbow Maze, Leaping Leprechauns Tic-Tac-Toe and more. Downtown restaurants will be offering festival specials including Irish favorites like Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherd’s Pie and green-colored drinks!  The parade begins at 1:00 PM at 21st Ave. and Harrison St. and travels north to Hollywood Blvd., east to Young Circle, south to Harrison and back to 21st Ave.  Event Website

Jensen Beach – March 11, 2012:

Join the Irish celebration in historic downtown Jensen Beach on March 11, 2012. The event features a parade and a free kids’ area with a bounce house, slides, games, sand art, live music and much more for a full day of family fun! The festivities begin at 11:00 AM and continue until 7:00 PM. The parade begins at 3:00 PM.  Event Website

Key West – March 17, 2012:

The 33rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Bar Stroll will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2012. Each year, participants in the bar stroll visit several local waterholes in an effort to raise money for local Key West charities. Last year’s event raised $10,000 for the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Florida Keys area. The bar stops include: Southernmost Beach Café, Southernmost Tiki Bar, Sweet Tea’s, Cowboy Bill’s, Ilona’s Garden Café, Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, The Bull, Rick’s Key West and Schooner Wharf. Event Website

Marco Island – March 10 & 11, 2012:

The 2012 Marco Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival will take place on March 10 & 11, 2012 at Veterans’ Community Park, 901 Park Avenue, Marco Island, FL. Event Website

Melbourne – March 17, 2012:

Sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Meg O’Malley’s, the Melbourne St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held in historic downtown Melbourne (E. New Haven Ave.) on Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Event Website

Naples – March 17, 2012:

The 34th annual Naples St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 11:00 AM. The traditional flag raising ceremony at Crayton Cove at 9:30 AM will kick off the parade. The parade staging area and beginning of the parade will be at St. Ann’s Church in Old Naples. The parade travels down 3rd St. S. to 5th Avenue, then goes down 8th St. S. to end at Crayton Cove. Event Website

Ormond Beach – Cancelled:

The Ormond Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Party scheduled for Saturday, March 10, 2012 has been cancelled due to conflicts with Bike Week. There will be a Celtic Festival on May 19-20, 2012. Celtic Festival website

Pensacola – March 17, 2012:

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Pensacola with a pub crawl, green bikini contest, jig dancing contest, leprechaun hunt and other activities. The pub crawl starts at Sidelines at10:00 AM. Event Website

Saint Augustine – March 10&11, 2012:

America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida, will host the second annual Celtic Music & Heritage Festival on Saturday & Sunday, March 10 & 11, 2012. The festivities begin with a colorful St. Patrick’s Parade around the old town on Saturday, March 10. The main festival events and shows will be held at Francis Field, 14 W Castillo Dr., St. Augustine. Event Website

Santa Rosa Beach – March 16, 2012:

Celebrate the greenest day of the year on the Emerald Coast at Santa Rosa Beach. The Santa Rosa St. Patrick’s Day Parade will begin at 3:30 PM on Route 30a near Gulf Trace (1/3 mile west of Grayton Corner) heading west to end at Gulf Place with an IrishFest starting at 4:15 PM. Event Website

Stuart – March 17, 2012:

The first Stuart St. Patrick’s Day Parade will start at 5 p.m. at the Martin County Courthouse, 435 S.E. Flagler Avenue. Congressman Tom Rooney will be the parade grand marshal. There will also be an Irish fair from Noon to 11:00 PM in Flagler Park, 201 S.E. Flagler Avenue, featuring live Irish music and dancers, bagpipes, kids’ activities, food, beer and vendors. The Irish MacTalla Mor Band will perform after the parade from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Event Website.

Tallahassee – March 17, 2012:

The 2012 Tallahassee St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held onSaturday, March 17, 2012. The parade will begin at 3:30 PM, starting at College and Macomb Street and ending at College and Adams Street. Preceding the parade, at 2:30 PM, there will be a 5K Run and Walk. Following the parade is the St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Festival from 4 PM to 11 PM on the Adams Street Commons. Event Website

Tampa – March 17, 2012:

St. Patrick’s Day Dyeing the Channel Green celebration will be held at Channelside Bay Plaza in Tampa on Saturday, March 17, 2012 beginning at 1:00 PM. The Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2012 in Ybor City, Tampa from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM. Event websites:  http://www.funintampabay.com/#!taa-events and http://www.tampa-roughriders.org/

Venice – March 17, 2012:

The 5th annual Venice Patrick’s Day Festival will be held on March 17, 2012. The festivities begin with the Venice YMCA St. Patty’s Day 8K at 8:00 AM at Sharky’s on the Pier. Event Website

Vero Beach – March 10, 2012:

The 2012 Indian River County St. Patrick’s Parade will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 in downtown Vero Beach (14th Ave) at 1:00 PM, featuring pipes & drums, followed by an open house party at the Elks Lodge at 1350 26th St.  Event info: 772-776-1832

West Palm Beach – March 10 & 11, 2012:

The 2012 Irish Fest will be held in downtown West Palm Beach at the Meyer Amphitheater on March 10 & 11, 2012. The event includes a full schedule of entertainment plus a pub tent, children’s amusements, Irish foods and drinks, Irish marketplace and plenty of fun for the whole family, starting at Noon each day and running until 11:00 Pm on Saturday and 8:00 PM on Sunday. Event Website

Winter Park – March 4, 2012:

The 33rd annual Winter Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 2:00 PM on Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park. This is the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in Central Florida, so wear some green and gather your family and friends to enjoy the annual Irish festivities. The parade will begin at the Winter Park Country Club and proceed south down Park Avenue to City Hall. More than 75 units will participate. The celebration will also feature Irish music and step-dancing at the main stage in Central Park. Event Website