McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade and Shamrock Festival Announced

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (DRI) is excited to announce new details for the McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade and Shamrock Festival and the Corned Beef and Co. Celtic Celebration to be held on March 14, 2015 in Downtown Roanoke from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

The McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. and will feature WARPIPE, Jamestown Pipes and Drums, the Shenandoah Valley Pipe Band, Virginia Highlands Pipes and Drums, and many more community organizations.

The Shamrock Festival, located at Wells Fargo Plaza, will feature performances by Superhold, the Dancing Chicken Band, JD Sutphin and the Low, Low Chariot, and Aside Oceans. The festival will open at 12 p.m. and craft vendors will surround the City Market Building, including Salem Avenue, Market Street, and Wall Street.

Corned Beef and Co.'s Celtic Celebration will again be located on Jefferson Street between Campbell Avenue and Salem Avenue. The Celtic Celebration will include talented Celtic performers including Second Wynde, the Celtibillies, and more. The Celtic Celebration performances will begin at 1 p.m.

This year's event will include an expanded McDonald's Kids Area in front of the Taubman Museum of Art and in Market Square. The museum will open at 10 a.m. and continues to offer free admission for patrons. The McDonald's Kids Area will run from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and include games, inflatables, and more for families to enjoy.

The McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade will travel down Jefferson Street to Campbell Avenue, ending at Williamson Road. The Corned Beef & Co. Celtic Celebration will be held on Jefferson Street between Campbell and Salem Avenues.  

The St. Patrick's Day Weekend begins on Friday night with a performance by Lunasa, a traditional Irish instrumental outfit, at the Jefferson Center. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are available through the Jefferson Center's website at http://www.jeffcenter.org/lunasa

Roanoke Catholic School's Shamrock Hill Run will also be happening on the morning of March 14th. The run is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the festivities begin at 8:30 a.m. with the one mile run. The 5K and 10K will begin at 9:15 a.m. and registration is open on the Roanoke Catholic School website at http://www.roanokecatholic.com/support-rcs/shamrock-hill-run/