PHOTO BY DAVE COLE

It’s one of the city’s most popular Downtown events of the year. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, rain or shine. 

The parade, an annual event for more than 150 years, will begin at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Street and proceed down Grant Street, where it will turn right onto the Boulevard of the Allies and continue down to Commonwealth Place. It’s expected to last until 1:30 p.m. 

The parade, which regularly draws more than 200,000 people and is one of the largest in the country, will consist of more than 200 groups and floats, including Grand Marshal Robert Tierney and 2024’s Miss Smiling Irish Eyes Madalyn Byrnes. 

St. Patrick’s Church in the Strip will be holding Mass before the parade at 8 a.m. There will also be various events in Market Square before, during and after the parade. 

Bus service will be altered due to the parade, and a list of detours can be found on the Pittsburgh Regional Transit website. Downtown street parking will be limited during the parade as well, so check the Pittsburgh Parking Authority website for a list of available parking garages and lots. 

Streets will begin to close around 7:30 a.m. and will reopen throughout the day on a rolling basis, so plan accordingly. 

Open containers are not permitted along the parade route.