The World’s First St. Patrick Parade was in St. Augustine in 1601!

Festival Day kicks off with the only St. Patrick Parade in Northeast Florida on Saturday March 11 at 10 AM!
The Parade marches to huge crowds all around downtown St. Augustine!
The parade finishes at the festival site on Francis Field. You won’t want to miss it!

Time: Saturday March 11 at 10:00 AM (Celtic Festival Opening Day)
Where: Downtown St Augustine
Click to open Parade Route PDF
Presented by: Romanza-St. Augustine, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

2023 PARADE REGISTRATION BEGINS JANUARY 15

$75 for Commercial or Non-Commercial Group Entry

Accredited K-12 Schools or College Groups Admitted FREE but must still register

If you have questions, please contact: [email protected]

Please see Parade Rules below.

Sorry! Registration is Closed

2023 PROFESSIONAL PIPES & DRUMS BANDS:

City of St. Augustine Pipes & Drums

Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums

Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Dept. (JFRD) Pipes & Drums

and

The Colonial Navy of Massachusetts Fifes & Drums

2023 PARADE ANNOUNCER

JESSICA CLARK, award-winning journalist and First Coast News, WTLV-TV news anchor, who has covered St. Augustine and St. Johns County since 2005.

2023 PARADE JUDGES

JEFF VALIN, National Training Coordinator for Historic Tours of America and former First Coast News anchor

AMY HENDRICKSON, award-winning acoustic solo songwriter and vocalist who has toured regionally and nationally

DAVEY HARTZEL, co-host for The 904 NOW, a local news podcast highlighting everything you need to know in and around St Johns County

RENEE UNSWORTH, photographer, social media manager and founder of https://totallystaugustine.com/

DR. ROGER SMITH, historian with the St. Augustine Historical Society, history professor at Flagler College, and Director of the St. Augustine History Festival.

Our historic celebration is the site of the World’s First St. Patrick Parade and is the only St. Patrick Parade in Northeast Florida!

Historic Facts:

1600 was the first recorded St. Patrick Celebration in America
1601 was the first recorded St. Patrick Parade in the World
This all happened — not in Boston, not in New York,
not even in Ireland — but here in St. Augustine, FL!

Click here for our story as written in Irish Central.com

“Where is the oldest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the world? Step aside Boston and New York…”

THE 2023 PARADE GRAND MARSHAL IS

PIE IN THE SKY COMMUNITY ALLIANCE, INC.

Pie in the Sky began as a small, grassroots, boots on the ground program in Hastings in the summer of 2009 as a way to “fill in the cracks” in services for folks who needed help and had nowhere else to turn.

The tiny but determined group helped with everything from wheelchair ramps to dental work and bus tickets, baby strollers and wheelchairs and everything in between.

Food was always a need among those Pie served; and in 2016, serving low-income, hungry seniors in the community became the sole mission of the growing organization. Beginning with just 12 seniors, the Senior Produce Program now delivers fresh, healthy produce to the homes of 537 senior neighbors in need in all four corners of the county.

As always with Pie in the Sky, it is about so much more than just food. Along with nutritious food, the group’s volunteers deliver hope and compassion to socially isolated seniors letting them know that their community cares about them.

Parade Rules

Units must pay attention to the Parade Marshals and their directions. They are there to make sure things go smoothly

Units must be decorated and in the theme of St. Patrick’s Day – the greener the better.

This event is a celebration of Celtic music and heritage, and not for political statement, causes or agendas

Motor units can be no wider than 8.5 feet and 13.5 feet tall, per the FDOT manual for commercial motor vehicles, chapter 11

Units shall report at their designated time on the route, not before. This enables a smooth loading of the units on the street

Vehicles towing floats must be dependable and mechanically sound

Trailers and flatbeds must be skirted, and no one may hang their legs, arms, or anything else over the side

Pickup trucks do NOT qualify as a “float”entry

All horses MUST have a pooper scooper for each group. Carriage horses MUST have a bag

Everyone should maintain a FORWARD motion at all times. No stopping to perform or interact with the crowds as this will cause gaps along the way

Abide by flag protocols. The United States flag is always first and highest

We reserve the right to remove you from the Parade if the rules set forth above are not followed

To ensure everyone is safety, passengers must remain on floats or vehicles at all times. You may not jump off or on a vehicle, float, train, or trolley on the parade route

No skateboards

Parade