Greenville St. Patrick's Day festival, parade returns downtown for first time since 2020

A celebration of Irish culture and heritage will fill the streets of downtown Greenville this weekend for the 2023 St. Patrick's Day parade and festival. This is the first time the events have been held together since the COVID pandemic in 2020.

For the 12th consecutive year, Greenville St. Patrick's Day Committee has hosted the event consisting of cultural foods, entertainment and a charity drive to raise money for childhood cancer research.

"There's been a long-running tradition of Irish citizens in Greenville that have made an impact," said Kevin Barnes, volunteer lead for the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Committee. "This event celebrates Irish history and tradition that's been longstanding in the Upstate and throughout South Carolina."

This weekend's dual event expects to host 25,000 people on the parade route and around 10,000 in attendance for the festival.

St. Baldrick's Going Bald for Cancer Research

In collaboration with the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Committee, St. Baldrick's Foundation will join this year's festival as individuals can shave their heads to help raise money for childhood cancer research.

"Cancer can hit anybody, and it's affected my family," said Jay "Stoneman" Stone, radio host at Classic Rock 101. "My wife's a cancer survivor."

This year's St. Patrick's Day Festival will be Stone's 16th consecutive year shaving his head for St. Baldrick's cancer research. Over the past three years, his head-shavings have made him one of the top donors in South Carolina which has amassed nearly $30,000.

This year's festival already has surpassed the goal of $50,000 and there is expected to be nearly 40-to-50 walk-up volunteers to participate that day, according to Johnny Pitts, event coordinator for St. Baldrick's Foundation.

"Any chance we can get money for the kids for cancer research, it's the best," Stone said. "Let's see if we can make a difference in someone's life."

Those interested in participating in the cause can sign up as a volunteer here.

Irish-themed food, beverages & entertainment

Guests visiting this year's festival can expect to experience Irish food favorites such as corned beef and cabbage, staple bangers (sausage) & mash, and more, as all of the food options will be catered by The Hyatt Regency.

During the festival, Irish music lovers will hear the sounds of The Synergy Twins — two twin brothers who play the violin, perform top 40 music hits and specialize in Irish tunes. They will play before headliner Drop O' The Pure — a rock, pub band.

A beer truck provided by KW Beverage will feature 24 different taps of IPAs, ciders, seltzers, and more, and small business vendors will sell Irish memorabilia from a market setting.

"We're one of the fastest-growing St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the Southeast," Barnes said. "We're trying to get to the level of Fall for Greenville or Artisphere."

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and more for The Greenville News and Anderson Independent Mail. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on Twitter @ajhappened.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville's St Patrick's Day event to feature food, music and parade