ST. LOUIS — St. Patrick’s Day weekend is here in St. Louis where many events are taking place to celebrate the Irish holiday.
The 55th annual Metropolitan St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set for Saturday, March 16, which will feature a new all-inclusive tent for spectators to enjoy.
The parade will take off at Market and 20th Street at noon and then will proceed east to end at 8th Street.
This year’s parade in Downtown, which celebrates Irish culture and heritage, will include more than 120 units, such as 15 marching bands, floats, huge cartoon character balloons, Irish dance schools, and more than 5,000 marchers.
A new “Leprechaun Lounge,” located on the parade route, will offer prime viewing, live entertainment, food by Salk + Smoke and drinks in a climate-controlled tent with tables and chairs. The lounge will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for 21 and older. Tickets can be purchased online.
Sponsored by Michelob Ultra, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Run will start at 9 a.m. on March 16. The festive, five-mile course through Downtown draws more than 5,000 runners.
At each mile-marker, there will be a DJ playing music. The race finishes near the hundreds of floats at Kiener Plaza.
Runners also can take part in the 3K shuffle.
Registration for the races can be done online. There is a package that includes both a run registration and a Leprechaun Lounge ticket.
A portion of the runner application proceeds will be donated to the St. Patrick Center.
The Hibernian St. Patrick’s Day Parade, annually held in Dogtown, turns 40 this year. To celebrate the major milestone, special guests, including three of the original parade founders will be honored as Grand Marshals.
The parade begins at the intersection of Tamm and Oakland at 11 a.m. Then turns down Tamm, passes St. James the Greater Church to Manchester Avenue.
Leading with the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the 2024 parade will feature almost 100 floats that highlight Irish dancing, music, culture and history. And the traditional marching of Irish family clans.
The fifth annual Dogtown Irish Festival will have food, music, vendors and attractions for all ages, beginning at 9 a.m. before the Hibernian St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 17.
The festival is a joint effort of Dogtown United, a nonprofit led by community and business leaders, and the Hibernians, according to a press release.
The event will be divided into multiple zones. The Dogtown Pizza Family zone will be located on Oakland Avenue, near Turtle Park and the Oakland Playground. There will be family-friendly activities, Irish music, food and drinks.
The Bud Light Party zone will be located at Clayton and Tamm. It will feature many bars, food and merchandise, in addition to live Irish music.
The Irish Festival will conclude at 6 p.m.
A St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held in St. Charles Sunday, March 17, on Main Street, beginning at 4 p.m.
The third annual parade is in partnership with the St. Charles Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, according to the event page.
The parade will start at the Lewis and Clark Boathouse Parking Lot and travel from Boone's Lick to Main Street. The parade will then travel down Main Street, ending at Clark Street.
The family-oriented parade celebrates Irish heritage and the Patron Saint of Ireland.
For more information, click here.
Eckert's Belleville Farm will host its Easter “Egg-Citement” event March 16-17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event includes an Easter egg hunt in the fields, a petting zoo, tractor rides around the farm, plant a seed to take home, cookie icing, face painting, a duck pond, a free photo scene and a gift from the Easter Bunny, according to a press release.
Children are only required a ticket for this event that can be purchased at the door. Easter Bunny photos and Easter baskets are available for purchase.
Tickets for Easter “Egg-citement” can be purchased online.
