St. Patrick’s Day is back and better than ever at the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
Downtown Sacramento Partnership welcomes back interactive and family-friendly activities — a Leprechaun Hunt (now through March 18) and the region’s only St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival (March 16 from noon to 5 p.m.). Visitors will enjoy a Taste of Ireland (now through March 31) at Old Sacramento Waterfront coffee shops, restaurants and bars that are offering Irish-inspired food and beverages. The community is invited to bring the entire family to the 26th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival to witness beautiful floats, learn Celtic history and traditions, and shop local vendors.
Leprechaun Hunt — To go in search of hidden leprechauns, guests can pick up activity pages at the Sacramento Visitor’s Center (1000 Second St.) or download in advance to begin the quest for seven Leprechauns hidden throughout the historical district. The activity book is filled with riddles that lead participants to a leprechaun with a corresponding secret word to help guests move onto the next hidden leprechaun and the secret message at the end. Once complete, participants email the secret message to info@oldsacramento.com by March 18 to be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win four tickets to City Cruises or gift cards to Rio City Café.
To add to the fun and share the experience with others, hunt participants and visitors are encouraged to capture images, post them on social media and tag @OldSac.
Parade and festival — Families, friends, kids and the young-at-heart are invited to join hundreds of colorful marchers along with Irish and Highland dancers, pipe and drum bands and a variety of cultural organizations at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival stepping off at 1 p.m. from Neasham and Front streets. Emceed by iHeart Media’s KISS 107.9 DJ Strawberry, the parade includes more than 40 organizations and groups. Visitors are encouraged to line the boardwalks of L, Front, J and 2nd streets for the best views of the spirited spectacle.
Spirited community members can arrive early to the Old Sacramento Waterfront on March 16 as music and entertainment starts at noon with performers dancing throughout the district alongside a lineup of local vendors and shops offering “lucky” specials. Activities include:
- The main Shamrockin’ Stage will feature a band playing all day.
- The State Parks Stage will focus on entertaining and educating children about Celtic culture.
- The Embarcadero Stage will have a Sac Dance Labs taught class, music and an entertaining magician.
- Plus, a Vendor Village will be set-up at K and Front dtreets from noon to 5 p.m.
Taste of Ireland — Eleven Old Sacramento Waterfront coffee shops, restaurants and bars are offering a Taste of Ireland (now through March 31) with Irish-inspired foods and beverages, an array of corned beef offerings, Guinness drinks and Sean Finnegan’s Irish Pub will serve “Sacramento’s Best Irish Coffee.”
Revelers wanting to get a head start on the fun are encouraged to purchase advance tickets to the St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl (March 15).
For more information about the Old Sacramento Waterfront visit OldSacramento.com and for more about the Downtown Sacramento Partnership visit DowntownSac.org.
Photo: Visit Sacramento
