Celebrate the Luck of the Irish at Paddy Fest in St. Pete!
St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, March 17, and there are tons of great family-friendly ways to celebrate the luck of the Irish! One of our favorite events is making a return for 2024. Paddy Fest is set to take place at Williams Park in St. Pete for two days of fun on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17 from 12 pm- 9pm and will include everything from games to live entertainment, Irish cuisine, and of course, Guinness and green beer for the grown-ups.
The event is also going towards a good cause – a portion of the proceeds will go toward Ocean Aid 360, a St. Pete-based non-profit that focuses on marine habitat restoration.
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Keep reading to learn more about this event and what to know before you go.
What is there to do at Paddy Fest?
Kids’ Zone
Paddy Fest will feature tons of fun for the whole family, including the littlest leprechauns!. There will be a newly expanded Kids’ Zone featuring several bounce houses, giant slides, lawn games, a 90-foot obstacle course, face painting, and more. The Tampa Bay Rays’ mascot, Raymond, and Tampa Bay Rowdies mascot, Pete the Pelican, will also be there to join in on the fun!
Live Entertainment
What would be an Irish celebration without some true Irish entertainment? There will be two stage setups for entertainment – the Mainstage Williams Park and Mary Margaret’s Inside Stage at Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern. The entertainment lineup includes Dunedin Pipe Band, The Gilleoghan Irish Dancers, Stormbringer, Drunken Shrubbery, Chad McDonald, Cage, and more. You can view the full two-day schedule here.
Vendors
There will be over 40 vendors at Paddy Fest selling everything from food to apparel, to home goods. Some of the confirmed vendors that you can peruse while you’re there are:
- 1771 Designs
- Autism Acceptance Allstars
- Central Cigars
- Folksy Love
- Gaelic Football
- Glitter and Giggles
- Irish Trinkets
- Mystical Unicorn Munchies
- Neicys Popsicles
- Suncoast Irish and Gaelic Heritage
- Vintage Celt
In addition to local vendors, you can also purchase Paddy’s Fest official merchandise while you’re there. You can check out a full list of vendors and official merchandise on Paddy Fest’s site.
Irish Eats and Food Trucks
Festival goers can pop into Mary Margaret’s Old Irish Tavern. Mary Margaret’s is St. Pete’s authentic Irish Tavern and will be serving their traditional Irish food and whiskeys along with proper pints. The restaurant is located at the end of the park at 29 3rd. Street South.
There will also be several food trucks on-site such as La Strada Mobile Kitchen, Lucky’s Italian Ice, Slammer Shop, Galvin’s Goodies, Pamz Pizza Cones, Mini Mouthful Donuts, and Wich Press Food Truck.
Multiple bars will be spread throughout the festival serving up drinks like Guinness, green beer, and whisky. Also this year, they’ll also be bringing back their fully-functioning inflatable pub.
Paddy Fest details and location
Where:
Williams Park
350 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL
When?
Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17 from 12 pm-9 pm
How much is admission?
General admission is free!
Admission to the Kids’ Zone will be $10 per child and includes unlimited access all weekend to bounce houses, slide, games, face painters and photo ops with both mascots.
A VIP package is available for $100 per person and includes two days of lunch and snacks provided by Fresh Factory, complimentary beverages, Irish whiskey tasting, VIP tented lounge, private restroom trailer, covered seating, and more.
Website: paddyfeststpete.com
All images courtesy of Paddy Fest St. Pete