St. Patrick’s Day Parade things to know
Get ready to paint the town green. The 47th annual Tops Rochester St. Patrick's Day Parade hits the streets of downtown Saturday, March 16. The 2024 edition will be made up of more than 100 entries, 3,000 marchers, nine bands, eight Irish dance schools, fire trucks, floats and more.
Parade route: The parade will start at 12:30 p.m. at East Avenue and Alexander Street, proceed to the Liberty Pole, then head west on Main Street, ending at Fitzhugh Street.
Street closures: The parade route will close to vehicular traffic around noon on March 16 and reopen after the parade is over, around 3:30 p.m. The following streets also will be closed during that time:
● Union Street from Broad Street to Charlotte Street
● Scio Street from Charlotte Street to East Avenue
● Broadway from East Avenue to Broad Street
● Chestnut Street from Broad Street to Main Street
● North Clinton Avenue from Broad Street to Pleasant Street
● St. Paul Street from Pleasant Street to Main Street
● State Street from Andrews Street to Main Street
● Exchange Boulevard from Broad
Street to Main Street
● Fitzhugh Street from Broad Street to Church Street
Grand Marshals: This year's Grand Marshals are former WROC-TV (Channel 8) news anchors Maureen McGuire and John Kucko.
Honorary Marshal: This year's Honorary Marshal is Mason Fitch, 98, of Brighton, a World War II veteran who flew 25 missions over Japanese waters.
Will there be leprechaun? As in 2023, Luke Dowdell of Spencerport will lead the parade in the role of leprechaun.
Celtic Family Faire: The Celtic Family Faire will be held at parade headquarters, the Hilton Garden Inn, 155 E.
Main St., from 1 to 4 p.m. and feature a comedy variety show by The Up Guys, balloon-twisting, a hot cocoa bar, facepainting and performances by Irish dancers and the Gates Keystone Pipe Band. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted to benefit Holy Childhood school. The event is alcohol-free. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the hotel.
Parking: Free parking will be available all day in the Sister Cities Garage and the High Falls Garage. Free parking will be available until 4 p.m. in the Washington Square Garage, the South Avenue Garage, the Court Street Garage and the Mortimer Street Garage. Metered street parking is free downtown on the weekends. However, it will be prohibited along the parade route and the Runnin' of the Green course starting at 6 a.m. on Parade Day.
Runnin’ of the Green: The 5-mile Runnin' of the Green will start and end at Parcel 5, following a course along the Genesee River to the University of Rochester and back. The race begins at 9:30 a.m. Main Street from North Clinton Avenue to East Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m. Portions of other streets — including Exchange and Ford streets and Wilson Boulevard — will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. until around noon as the last runners move along the course.
Weather: A lot could change between now and March 16, and with any luck it will because the long-range forecast for Rochester predicts a high temperature of 52 degrees on that day, a low of 34, cloud cover and afternoon rain.