St. Pat’s at Five Points is coming back in 2022 after canceling two years in a row
After a two year hiatus, Five Points’ Saint Patrick’s day celebration will be returning in 2022, the Five Points Association announced Wednesday.
The annual Columbia event is scheduled for March 19, 2022, just in time for its 40th anniversary.
“It is exciting and serendipitous that the return of St Pat’s falls on the 40th Anniversary of the first festival and serves as a great reminder of the event’s unprecedented longevity and rich history of supporting local charities,” Five Points Association President Steve Cook said in a statement. “We appreciate our partnerships with the City of Columbia, Richland County, and most importantly, the festival attendees, from around the world that have made this event one of the most popular in the entire country.”
The St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Five Points was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is typically one of the largest celebrations of the holiday in the Southeast, with an average of 45,000 attendees, according to a statement from the Five Points Association. The Five Points Association hopes to bring about 10,000 more people to the event in 2022.
Next year’s events will include a “Get to the Green” run, with 5K, 10K and a 1-mile family fun run category. Coordinators are also planning a parade down Devine Street into Five Points, the family-fun Pot O’Gold Playland, five stages of music, artisan craft vendors, food vendors and, of course, green beer.
