Big crowds expected for 2023 Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade

ATLANTA - When spectators line Peachtree Street this weekend to take in the sights and sounds of Atlanta’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade, they’ll be continuing a tradition that began a whopping 165 years ago.

This year’s Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade steps off at noon on Saturday, March 11, heading south on Peachtree Street from Colony Square down to 5th Street Northeast (just north of The Fox Theatre). 

The city’s first St. Patrick’s Parade was held back in 1858, and was sponsored by the city’s merchant-founded Hibernian Benevolent Society. Today, the parade is produced by the Irish Network Atlanta (a nonprofit promoting Irish heritage and culture) and has grown into a massive celebration of both Irish culture and the South, featuring everything from bagpipes and Irish dancing to cosplayers and llamas. Yes … llamas!

Last year’s St. Patrick’s Parade was the first in the city since 2019; the parade was canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Organizers say they expect a big turnout on Saturday, and strongly encourage arriving along the route by 11 a.m. to find a good viewing spot. Parking, of course, is also very limited — so parade organizers say using MARTA is the best option to get to Midtown.

Of course, we were so excited about this year’s St. Patrick’s Parade that we just couldn’t wait until Saturday afternoon, so we spent the morning at Colony Square getting an exclusive preview of this year’s big event with some of the participants. Click the video player in this article to check it out!