Fancy a little fun this year to welcome in spring? You don’t need to look much further than the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in North Myrtle Beach on Saturday March 14, 2020. It’s the biggest in the area, and this part of the Grand Strand is rather proud of that distinction. It’s also totally free to view the Parade or wander around the stalls at the Festival. The wearing of the green is strongly encouraged. The having of a good time is assured.
The Parade starts at 9am and the Festival runs from 11 am to 4 pm, giving you a full day of entertainment. Best to be up early; the prime spots for parade-watching go fast. But you’d not want to miss the chance to see over 100 parade entries, wave at the Grand Marshal and still have all the fun of the Festival to come, would you?
There are over 125 vendors taking part in the Festival this year, and just waiting to part you from your cash. Head to the end of Main Street after the Parade and there you will find a tempting selection of arts, crafts, and food stalls, plus a selection of non-profit businesses too. Not to be outdone, the Main Street shops and clubs will always have something special for St. Paddy’s, you can be sure of that. There is non-stop music from two stages, one on Main Street and the other on Ocean Boulevard, and you’ll be able to remember your wonderful day toasting the shamrock with a souvenir T-shirt – just the thing to make you smile on a dark and cold winter’s day.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Route
The parade route heads from the top of Main Street down to Hillside Drive South, takes a left onto First and then heads down Ocean Boulevard North. You’ll be able to hear traditional pipes and drums bands from all over the land as well as seeing all kinds of fancy dress costumes. Come dressed as a Leprechaun and you may find yourself voted North Myrtle Beach’s best Leprechaun. Once the Parade is done, the Festival starts in earnest. There will be a children’s area with rides and games for the little ones too, so it’ll be a real family event. Of course, there will be proper Irish food and drink, as well as local specialties.
If you want to get a flavor of what this day is all about, there are videos on YouTube and photos of past parades available around the web. Just search the phrase North Myrtle Beach St Patrick’s Day parade. Or, if your budget won’t stretch to attending this year, WPDE TV 15 will be broadcasting the whole thing live.
Parade Video from 2013
I had the video posted here.. but something was changed so that it would not play…
