11 Essential Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Survival Tips
Book Your Lodging Early
There will be about 500,000 people coming to Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day. You want to make sure you book your room early. I like to reserve my rooms several months in advance. I suggest that you book your rooms no later than December.
If hotels aren’t your thing, you can check out VRBO. You can book people’s homes or condos on that site. Depending on when you book your room, you may even get a better deal than you would on a hotel room.
The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade is usually held on March 17th, but the events can start a week or two early. Check out Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day for details. One event you should consider attending is the Greening of the Fountain.
March is a weird weather month for the whole state of Georgia. Savannah isn’t an exception. The temperatures fluctuate. Some St. Patrick’s Day Savannah weekends have been warm, while others have been cold. Make sure you check the weather and dress accordingly.
Saint Patrick’s Day Mass is held every year on March 17th. It starts at 8 am. It is held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah. The mass is open to people of all faiths.
The biggest event during this time is the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The parade starts at 10:15 am. It features tons of floats and performances. You can expect the parade to last three hours. People begin to arrive hours before that. If you want to view the parade from any historic squares, the earliest you can get there is 6 am.
Make sure you bring some plastic or styrofoam cups because you can drink in the Historic District, which is downtown. Nope, that wasn’t a typo. You can drink in downtown Savannah. They have an open container law stating that the cups can be no more than 16 ounces.
You want to ensure you have some cash on hand for food and souvenirs. Vendors will have tents all around downtown selling different types of food. Some of them only take cash. Vendors will also sell shirts, beads, and other souvenirs. There is a good chance that you will see something that you like.
River Street is a popular destination in Savannah. It is a cobblestone street that features over 70 businesses. It is located on the Savannah River. A lot of the partying goes down on River Street. Thousands of people will be in the area enjoying themselves. The bars and restaurants will ensure folks get in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.
What better way to celebrate Savannah St. Patrick’s Day than to try some green beer? That’s the only time you can get a green beer, so you could live a little. It tastes just like regular beer. The bars use a special dye to make them green. Below is a picture of some green beer I had a few years ago.
Make sure that you have fun. Besides River Street, you should check out City Market. They usually have a stage setup that will feature live music. There are multiple bars to check out in the area as well. If you want to see the ocean, you can take a short drive to Tybee Island.