From the Irish-styled party on Friday night to the parade along West St. on Sunday, Annapolis is kicking off the celebration of green before other municipalities, so the best Celtic acts, from bagpipes, dancers, and bands, come to the Capital City.

The City of Annapolis’ biggest parade of the year – the Annapolis St. Patrick’s Parade – will take place with a step-off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 5. In addition to the parade, the following events will take place on the same weekend: 

• The Annapolis Hooley, or Irish Party, will take place at Susan Campbell Park at City Dock from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 3 (ticketed event);

• Shamrock the Dock, a two-day concert and festival, will occur on Dock Street and Susan Campbell Park at City Dock on Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. (ticketed event) and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. (free and open to the public). 

The Sunday parade will begin below Westgate Circle/Park Place, with participants lining up along Amos Garrett Boulevard. From there, the parade will travel down West Street to Church Circle, go clockwise around the traffic circle to Main Street, continue down Main Street, and end at City Dock. 

The tenth annual St. Patrick’s parade is produced by Naptown Events, sponsoring free shuttles from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to Westgate Circle (for parade participants and watchers) and then City Dock for those attending Shamrock the Dock. Parking at the stadium is $10 per vehicle. For more information and to purchase tickets for the Hooley and Saturday’s Shamrock the Dock, visit www.naptownevents.com.  

Parking Restrictions and Road Closures

• PARKING RESTRICTIONS: From Monday, February 27 to Tuesday, March 7, there will be no parking on Dock Street from the Harbormaster’s office to Susan Campbell Park. On Sunday, March 5, there will be no parking in the first block of West Street and along Main Street before and during the parade.

• ROAD CLOSURES: Dock Street will be closed, except for emergency vehicles, between the Harbormaster’s Office and Susan Campbell Park from Monday, February 27 to Tuesday, March 7.  Streets along the parade route will close before 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, and are expected to remain closed until the conclusion of the parade, at approximately 3 p.m.

“In Annapolis, we must have the ‘luck of the Irish’ because we get to play host to the region’s favorite springtime ritual: the first-in-line St. Patrick’s Parade,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “Because we’re first, we get the best of the best, from the top-tier pipe and drum bands to award-winning Irish dancers. I know one thing, this parade will leave you seeing green.”

John O'Leary, Naptown Events and Parade founder, said, "our parade, the City’s parade, has become a year-round topic with interest from around the country and even globally. We are very proud of the quality and how this event showcases Annapolis. We see that in the sheer numbers of locals who come to participate and those who stay over.”

To get up-to-date information on traffic, parking restrictions, and road closures, text PADDY2023 to 38276. 

The parade benefits local charities, including Warrior Events. Visitors, participants, and concert-goers are reminded if you celebrate with alcohol, please drink responsibly and utilize designated drivers

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING PARADES IN DOWNTOWN ANNAPOLIS: 

• Saturday, April 1, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and African Diaspora Festival; 

• Monday, May 29, City of Annapolis Memorial Day Parade; 

• Saturday, June 3, Annapolis Pride 2023 Parade and Festival;

• Saturday, June 17, Annapolis Juneteenth Parade and Festival; and

• Tuesday, July 4, City of Annapolis Independence Day Parade.