As revelers prepare to don their green and celebrate Irish heritage, Fort Lauderdale is gearing up for its annual St. Patrick's Parade and Festival. Mark your calendars for next Friday and Saturday because the city will be alive with festivities, including a parade that promises to be a kaleidoscope of color and community spirit.
However, with the celebrations come necessary preparations and the inevitable traffic adjustments - streets will be closed, traffic rerouted, and normal travel plans upended. On Friday, from 4:30 to 5 p.m., motorists can expect street striping activities causing potential delays and then from 2 to 6 p.m., SE 6th Avenue will be entirely off-limits from Las Olas Boulevard to the hotel overpass, this according to a traffic advisory from City of Fort Lauderdale's official website.
Then comes the main event on next Saturday; the festival takes its place at Tunnel Top Plaza, kicking off at 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., while the parade starts midday – floats and marchers moving east on Las Olas Boulevard from Huizenga Plaza to SE 9th Avenue. Street closures on the day of the parade will impact SE 6th Avenue, Las Olas Boulevard, and SE 1st Avenue at varying times throughout the day, detailed in the City of Fort Lauderdale's traffic advisory.
Anticipate traffic snarls and prepare for longer transit times; the heart of Fort Lauderdale will transform into a pedestrian celebration, making it prudent for residents and visitors alike to plan ahead – everyone should expect roadblocks from the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, for example, Las Olas Boulevard will be inaccessible from SE 5th Avenue to SE 8th Avenue from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and again from Andrews Avenue to SE 9th Avenue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while SE 1st Avenue will follow suit with closures from Las Olas Boulevard to Broward Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information about the event can be found at parks.fortlauderdale.gov/stpat.
