North Myrtle Beach, S.C. | The 34th Annual North Myrtle Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival will be held Saturday, March 16 on Main Street. The parade begins at 9:00 AM and the festival will be held 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
This one-day rain or shine event attracts more than 30,000 people annually.
Parade beings at 9:00 AM and for those unable to make it in person, view it LIVE on CW21 hosted by WPDE personalities.
Parade Route: Begins 2nd Ave North & Ocean Boulevard, turn right onto 1st Ave South, right on Hillside Drive, left on Main Street, parade ends at Ye Old Kings Hwy.
An emcee announcing parade participants will be stationed at the entrance of the Horseshoe. Judges will be stationed at the Horseshoe to vote for their “Best” parade entries.
WPDE personalities will be announcing the parade at the Community Stage located at Main Street and N Oak Drive.
The festival offers 130 food, arts and crafts, nonprofit, and other vendors. There will be a Kids Area with games and rides for all ages. Several food areas will have delicious Irish treats, as well as festival favorites.
Sponsors of this year’s parade and festival are North Strand Optimist Club, The City of North Myrtle Beach, WPDE, Easy Radio, Flynn’s Irish Tavern, Freedom Boat Club, and Westgate Resorts.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival offers three entertainment stages. The current entertainment lineup is as follows:
Irish Stage Sponsored by Flynn’s Irish Tavern
11:00 AM: Clover’s Revenge
12:00 PM: Coastal Carolina Shields Pipes & Drums
12:30 PM: Clover’s Revenge
1:30 PM: Leprechaun Contest / Shepherd’s Pie Eating Contest
2:00:PM: Tan & Sober Gentlemen
Community Stage Sponsored by Freedom Boat Club
(Oak Drive)
11:00 AM: Triple Toe Cloggers
11:30 AM: Parade Awards
12:00 PM: Ryan Perry
1:30 PM: Coastal Carolina Shields Pipe & Drums
2:00 PM: Rivermist
Ocean Stage Sponsored by Westgate Resorts
(Near Ocean Boulevard)
11:00 AM: Black Glass
1:00 PM: Pipes and Drums of the Jersey Shore
2:00 PM: ACE Party Band
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival Contests
Two contests are also part of this year’s festival:
Leprechaun Contest / Jr. Leprechaun Contest
Show off your love of all things Irish by competing in the Leprechaun Contests. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, appearance, enthusiasm, and energy. Register at the Irish Stage before 1:00 PM.
Shepherd’s Pie Eating Contest
First to clear their plate, with a twist, wins! Register at the Irish Stage before 1:00 PM.
Traffic Info: The parade staging and line up will occur at 7:00 AM on Ocean Boulevard from 2nd Ave North to 11th Ave North. Southbound lanes on Ocean Boulevard from 11th Ave North to 1st Ave South will be closed to traffic from 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM. From 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, the closure will include both southbound and northbound lanes from 2nd Ave North to 1st Ave South.
Main Street from Ash Street to Ocean Boulevard will be closed from 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Main Street to Ocean Boulevard will be closed from 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM for the parade. Main Street becomes festival area from Ash Street to Ocean Boulevard after the parade until 6:00 PM.
The parade will begin at 9:00 AM. Ocean Boulevard will be open to vehicular traffic until 8:30 AM and is expected to reopen around 11:30 AM, immediately following the parade.
FREE Event Parking:
- Corner of 1st Ave South and Ocean Boulevard
- Corner of 2nd Ave North and Ocean Boulevard
- McLean Park: 93 Oak Drive
- Free Shuttle Service 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM from Ocean Drive Elementary School (901 11th Ave North, NMB)