Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade 2009

First held on March 17, 1869, the annual Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade is the largest parade on Pittsburgh's crowded parade calendar, with over 20,000 participants and an audience of as much as 200,000. According to parade officials, the St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittsburgh is actually the second largest in the country, following New York. Even the blizzard of 1993 didn't stop the parade, although the blinding snow made it hard for the attendees to actually see anything.The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade kicks off an entire week of Irish-heritage events in and around Pittsburgh, featuring artists, musicians and community groups. Join in celebrating the heritage of the nearly 15% of Pittsburgh residents with Irish roots.

When:

March 14, 2009
Held each year on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. In years when St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday, then the parade is held on St. Patrick's Day. The parade begins downtown at 10am.

St. Patrick's Day Parade Route:

The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day parade forms at the Mellon Arena on Center Avenue and Washington Place and then proceeds inbound on Center Avenue to Sixth Avenue. The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade then takes a right turn onto Sixth Avenue and continues to Grant Street before turning left. The parade route then follows Grant Street to the Blvd. of the Allies and turns right onto the Blvd. of the Allies, past the Reviewing Stand in front of the Diocese of Pittsburgh building at the Blvd. and Stanwix Street, and ends at Commonwealth Place.

St. Patrick's Day Parade Participants:

The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade features over 200 marching units, including bands, floats, emergency service agencies, and many groups from Pittsburgh's Irish and other ethnic communities. The parade culminates with special appearances by Pittsburgh's Miss Irish Smiling Eyes 2009 and St. Patrick himself.