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Parade

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 12 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 12 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

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.

REGISTER IS CLOSED

2022 PROFESSIONAL PIPES & DRUMS BANDS:

City of St. Augustine Pipes & Drums

Coastal Florida Police & Fire Pipes & Drums

Jacksonville Pipes & Drums

JFRD Pipes & Drums

2022 PARADE ANNOUNCER:

Jessica Clark, First Coast News 

2022 PARADE JUDGES: 

Sheldon Gardner, St. Augustine Record

Amy Hendrickson, Local Musician

Mike Sullivan

Renee Unsworth, Founder of TotallyStAugustine.com

Jeff Valin, First Coast News

 

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…”

2022 PARADE GRAND MARSHAL 

THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

FATHER MIGUEL O’REILLY HOUSE MUSEUM

The O’Reilly House is the oldest house on the oldest street in the oldest part of the oldest city in the United States. Irish Priest Miguel (Michael) O’Reilly supervised the construction of St. Augustine’s beautiful Cathedral from 1793 to its completion and consecration in 1797. He and fellow Irishmen were the Spanish colony’s principal vicars in the Second Spanish Period. O’Reilly was born in Ireland where the English were suppressing the Catholic faith. He was trained for the priesthood in Spain and sent to St. Augustine in 1777 to minister to the Menorcans. He became the chaplain of the Hibernian Regiment and “vicario” of the entire Colony. Here he was the teacher of Felix Varela, the Cuban writer and hero who is now up for Sainthood.

The house was built around 1691 and was given to the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1866. Father Miguel O’Reilly wanted his house used for education. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Le Puy, France arrived in St. Augustine at the request of Bishop Verot to bring education to newly emancipated slaves. November 1866 witnessed the opening of the O’Reilly House as the first school for African American boys in St. Augustine.

The O’Reilly House, located at 32 Aviles Street, has been under the care and ownership of the Sisters of St. Joseph since 1866. The unique history of the house and its usage is such an important part of the history of St. Augustine that the Sisters opened it for a museum in 2002.

The house is operated and maintained by the Sisters. They have a wonderful group of volunteers that assist the Sisters in sharing the faith and the good works of the Congregation.

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

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