In honor of 2009 St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish Congress of Southern California presents the 29th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in San Diego on Saturday, March 14th – with the parade starting at 11am sharp, rain or shine!

In 2008, over 135,000 people joined together to admire the parade floats and celebrate throughout the festival – making the ’08 parade and festival one of the largest single-day events in San Diego. Watch the 2008 parade video here.

This year, San Diego is expecting an even bigger crowd to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. On Saturday, March 14th, join thousands of San Diegans and head to 6th and Laurel at Balboa Park. Start the parade at 11am sharp with the Emerald Society Fire Fighters Pipe Band and then bring the family to the festival area for food, music, dance, shopping, history and good fun - or "craic," as the Irish say.

The festival offers fun for everyone – including two entertainment stages, Kid’s Zone, Celtic Village (sharing Irish history all day), and the Beer Gardens (open 10am - 5pm). Check out the lineup:

Main Stage

1:00 pm ~ Opening / Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes & Drums
1:05 pm ~ The Xceptions
1:50 pm ~ Tony Cummins
2:40 pm ~ "The Blokes" Irish Band
3:30 pm ~ Brian Baynes
4:15 pm ~ The Shamrockers

North Festival Stage

11:30 -2:15 pm ~ Irish Dancing by Local Irish Dance Schools
2:30 - 3:30 pm ~ Sheela-na-Gig
3:30 - 5:00 pm ~ Harold's Renegade Band

The theme for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is Celebrating Children's Services and focusing on the services of Adoption, Fostering, and Mentoring (such as Big Brothers/Sisters and Girl Scouts). Most often, the children needing these services are the most in need of extra love and special care. In choosing this theme for the 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, the Irish community can give to the greater community of San Diego as they celebrate Irish heritage and culture.

The Irish Congress of Southern California (ICSC) is a non-profit organization serving the San Diego region since 1981. The ICSC mission is to promote public appreciation and knowledge of Irish history and culture. To accomplish this, they host such events as the annual Miss Colleen Pageant and Dinner and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival. These significant events serve as a vehicle to entertain, inspire, educate and create awareness of important community programs and services available in San Diego.

DiscoverSD.com is a proud sponsor of the St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival and ShamROCK in the Gaslamp.

For more information about the 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in San Diego – and to check out more video and photos from the 2008 event – visit stpatsparade.org.