SOUTH BEND -- Downtown South Bend Inc. has rescheduled the 25th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 22, because of the forecast of dangerously high winds for Saturday, March 15, the parade's original date.
According to The Tribune's newsgathering partner, WNDU-TV, Saturday will be "very windy!" with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the morning before giving way to sunshine and a high near 70 degrees.
"Winds are expected to occasionally gust over 50 mph in the afternoon hours," WNDU said in its forecast. It advises people to "secure any loose objects, or they will be blown away."
On March 22, the parade will feature more than 50 floats and walking units and will last about 90 minutes.
It begins at the corner of East Jefferson Boulevard and South Notre Dame Avenue. It continues west on Jefferson to South Niles Avenue, where it turns north to finish at Niles and East Washington Street.
Free parking will be available in the Zion Church lot, AM General lot and Everwise Credit Union lot, plus in all three city-managed garages: Main Street Garage, Leighton Garage and Wayne Street Garage. Free street parking will also be available.
No parking is permitted along the parade route or staging areas (Frances Street from Washington Street to Northside Boulevard and Wayne Street from Frances Street to Eddy Street) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 22.
This year's parade will feature Grand Marshals Carol and Terry Meehan, owners of Fiddler's Hearth, as well as Dan Platz, who recently retired as a DTSB ambassador after nearly 14 years of service. Platz also won a 2024 Faces of Tourism Award.
The emcees are media personalities "Irish Dave" O'Conner and Christine Karsten.
The parade will also include Irish music and dancers.
Parade sponsor Teeling Irish Whiskey will have its Irish coffee cart and offer free cocoa for children, along with games like a football toss and cornhole, at Hammer & Quill, 613 E. Jefferson Blvd., and the nearby parking lot. The Guinness Truck also will be on hand.
The Greening of the East Race takes place immediately after. Visitors are encouraged to watch from the east bank of the East Race because the west bank will be closed because of construction.
■ The DTSB Shamrock Shuttle Pub Crawl from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, March 14 with shuttle service to 15 downtown pubs plus food/drink specials and entertainment. Tickets are $20 day-of and can be purchased on the DTSB website.
■ The Teeling Irish Whiskey Weekend March 14 and 15, with custom Teeling cocktail creations at participating downtown bars/restaurants and a social media contest with a prize package of Notre Dame football tickets, a stay at the Aloft Hotel and a gift card to LaSalle Kitchen & Tavern. Check the DTSB Facebook page and website for full details.
■ The St. Patrick's Day Celebration at St. Hedwig's Parish, 331 S. Scott St., from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 15, featuring corned beef and cabbage and Irish dance and music; 574-287-8932 or saintpatricksainthedwig.church.
■ Fiddler's Hearth, 127 N. Main St., will hold its all-day St. Patrick's Day celebration from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, March 17; 574-232-2853 or fiddlershearth.com. The schedule for music follows:
For more events, visit https://www.downtownsouthbend.com/post/celebrate-st-patrick-s-day-2025-in-downtown.
For more information, call 574-282-1110 or visit downtownsouthbend.com.