Nearly 30,000 expected in North Myrtle Beach for 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities

Adriana Cotero
·2 min read

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)– St. Patrick’s Day is just two days away, and one city on the Grand Strand is preparing to host a party for nearly 30,000 over the weekend.

The 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival in North Myrtle Beach on Saturday is one of the longest-running events of its kind along the Grand Strand. Event organizer Angel Sylvester said there will be more food vendors this year to accommodate the large crowd.

North Myrtle Beach details route for 34th St. Patrick’s Day Parade

“It gets bigger and better every year,” said Sylvester, the city’s special events and program director. “This street will be full of a sea of green of people just celebrating everything Irish and the coming of spring.”

The parade and festival will include live Irish music, more than 130 vendors selling arts and crafts, of course, traditional Irish food.

“We wanted to add more food because the food lines get long, but we have a lot of new food vendors this year,” Sylvester said.

Festivities start with a parade at 9 a.m., which will last about two hours. Immediately after the parade comes even more “shamrock’n” fun. It will run through about 4 p.m.

“So, [there will be] a lot of Irish treats and festival favorites, a lot of new stuff,” Sylvester said.

The festival started with a local group at one of the city parks and has grown over the years into a big celebration, Sylvester said. It remains a tradition among Grand Strand residents and people traveling from out of town.

“A lot of our locals, this has become a tradition for them,” Sylvester said. “But a lot of people plan their vacations around this festival, so it’s become a tradition for them as well.”

The event is free and open to the public. There is also free parking, as the city has opened two parking lots: one at 1st Avenue S. and one at 2nd Avenue N.

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Adriana Cotero is News13’s weekend evening anchor and a morning reporter. She joined the team in July 2023 after working in the island of Guam. Adriana is from Saline, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University. Follow Adriana on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram and read more of her work here. 

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