St. Patrick's Day tips
On Wednesday, the City of Savannah will observe St. Patrick’s Day and will host the grand parade through downtown Savannah, commemorating the patron saint of Ireland. Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police plays a key role in the security of the activities and, in particular, the annual parade.
SCMPD would like to remind all parade attendees of certain restrictions concerning parking and streets that will be closed for the duration of the parade.
The parade staging area will be the first area affected by parking restrictions the day of the parade. Parking in and around the staging area and along the parade route will be clearly marked with "NO PARKING" bags over parking meters. Notices will be posted shortly reminding residents of parking restrictions prior to, and during, Tuesday’s parade. In addition, other strategic areas of the Festival Area will be indicated by “NO PARKING” bags on meters. The “NO PARKING” bags are not to be removed. The penalty for removing the bags will involve towing the vehicle, towing charges and associated fines. Affected areas without meters will be posted within the immediate block and at Parking Pay Stations with “NO PARKING” signs.
The “Festival Area” for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration is defined as follows:
• North of Jones Street to the River
• East of Boundary Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard
• West of East Broad Street
All local ordinances concerning the festival will be strictly enforced. In this area, all alcoholic drink cups must be paper, plastic or styro-foam, and 16 ounces or less. No other alcoholic containers of any kind will be allowed in the Festival Area.
People living, visiting, and/or parking along the route are reminded that all cars must be removed no later than 6 a.m. before the parade. All vehicles illegally parked in areas affected by the parade will be towed at owner’s expense. And, the vehicle owners must obtain a vehicle release form from Police Headquarters at Habersham and Oglethorpe Streets in order to claim any towed vehicle. Proof of ownership is required to obtain a vehicle release form from SCMPD.
SAVANNAH—“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and trouble avoid you wherever you go” is one of the many blessings you may hear at Savannah’s Emmet Park during the City of Savannah’s Tara Feis Irish Celebration, taking place Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Topping the line-up will be acclaimed Irish-American singer-songwriter, Cathie Ryan.
Organized by Bernadette Winters and Harry O’Donoghue, the family-friendly feis (pronounced “fesh”) — or festival — will be a feast for the eyes, ears and palate, with live performances, food, art activities, crafts and games hosted with Irish ceremony, tradition and hospitality.
Now in its 19th year, Tara Feis is a free, non-alcoholic event geared toward families and children. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with an official Irish opening ceremony. The main stage will feature plenty of traditional Irish dancing, as well as a live performance by local folksinger O’Donoghue. Two performances by Irish music group, The Cathie Ryan Band, will highlight this year’s feis.
Touring over the past 13 years with The Cathie Ryan Band, vocalist Cathie Ryan has established herself as a leading Irish American singer and songwriter, performing on television and radio nationally and internationally.
Her resume includes NPR’s Mountain Stage and Thistle and Shamrock; PRI’s The World; BBC Radio; Radio Scotland; RTE, RnaG, and TG4 in Ireland; and American Public Television specials “Tommy Makem’s Celtic Christmas” and “The Soul of Christmas.” She has pioneered the path for exploring and performing the traditional songs of both Ireland and America and magically blends her own songs with Irish and American traditional gems to create a unique and timeless sound.
Ryan has been named “Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade” by The Irish American News, is lauded as “One of the leading voices in Celtic Music” by the Los Angeles Times and was chosen as one of the first American singer-songwriters featured in the renowned Irish music collection “A Woman’s Heart-A Decade On.”
The Tara Feis children’s stage will feature a full day of entertainment, including performances from magician Magic Marc, the puppets of Conrad Hartz and traditional Irish dancing performances from Glor na h’Eireann Irish Dance School and the Irish Dancers of Savannah.
Tara Feis is free and open to the public. Emmet Park is located in downtown Savannah at the east end of Bay Street. For a performance schedule or more information, contact (912) 651-6417 or visit www.savannahga.gov/arts.
