Ready for a little Irish reveling on St. Patrick’s Day? Luckily, you don’t have to set sail to Ireland to celebrate because the luck of the Irish can be found right here in San Diego. Spend the day basking in San Diego’s glorious sunshine and make some memories with your loved ones at one of these local outdoor family-friendly events.
San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival
[youtube http://youtu.be/tMwUpMkjqhk]Irish Festival
Dress the family in green and head out to the Irish Festival in Balboa Park. Held in conjunction with a grand St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the festival has something for the entire family including Irish faire, craft booths and live entertainment for you to clap, dance and sing-a-long with on two stages running. Kids can play in the Kids Zone complete with games, rides, llamas, face-painting and other fun. You can also step back in time at a Celtic Village where the year is 1582. A troupe of renaissance re-enactors will entertain you while portraying the daily drama of the soldiers of the House McFionn. Kids and adults alike will be amazed by authentic fighting demonstrations, as well as Irish dancing, songs and story-telling.
Parade
This annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will have more than 120 entries including marching bands, decorated floats, bagpipe contingents, the reigning Miss Colleen, the Smiling Irishman and much more. Get there early for best viewing of this popular, colorful parade.
Where: Parade – 5th & 6th Avenues, between Juniper and Upas
Date: March 16, 2013
Times: Festival – 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Parade starts at 10:30 AM
Cost: Free
> Find out more about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Festival
St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run, 4 & 2 Mile Fun Run
“May the road rise to meet you” at this 33rd annual run/walk event in Mission Bay Park. The best Irish-themed running costume will be recognized, and the whole family can watch or participate, then spend the day playing at the park. Mission Bay’s cool breezes, tranquil waters and soft sand beaches welcome beach-goers to this beautiful area all year long. But if you do decide to come out for St. Paddy’s day, there are also abundant grassy areas for the kids to hunt for four-leaf clovers!
Where: Mission Bay Park – 1740 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109
Starting Time: 7:30 AM
> Find out more about St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run, 4 & 2 Mile Fun Run