Downtown Indianapolis is set to turn bright green Friday as the 44th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade rolls straight through the city center. The family-focused march steps off at 11:30 a.m. and comes with a heated tent party and block festivities along North Street, so expect a lively scene and mid-morning traffic headaches as units stage and roll into the early afternoon.
Parade route and block party
The Athletic Club Foundation’s celebration, presented by the Hoosier Lottery, will start at North and Pennsylvania and follow a downtown route that feeds parade units toward the North Street block party. The public tent and block party on North Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania opens at 9:30 a.m. and keeps rolling into the afternoon with live music, food options and a beer garden. Those times and event details are laid out by organizers on their event page, according to IndyStPats.com.
Closures, staging and timing
Police plan to close several key downtown blocks for parade lineup, including Pennsylvania from St. Clair to North, Fort Wayne between Delaware and North, and North Street from Meridian to Delaware, so drivers should be ready for detours and delays in the mid-morning, according to WRTV. Parade materials note that marshalling starts at 10:00 a.m., with some divisions permitted to show up after 10:30 a.m., and finish and exit procedures are spelled out for unit leaders in the organizers' packet; see the Parade Unit Instructions for full details.
IMPD photos show marshal zones
The IMPD Downtown District has shared photos of staging maps and marshal zones that mark Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, University Park and Veterans Memorial Plaza as marshalling and de-marshalling areas. The images are meant to help unit leaders and residents spot staging locations and cut down on parade-morning confusion, according to IMPD News. Organizers are also reminding participants to keep a steady pace and follow marshal instructions so the route keeps moving.
How to plan your morning
If you are heading downtown, plan to arrive early or consider using public transit, since the block party opens well before the 11:30 a.m. step-off and the tent typically winds down by mid-afternoon. Parking options and suggested viewing areas are being updated on downtown event pages, according to Downtown Indy. Give yourself extra travel time Friday morning, as officers and volunteers will be on hand to manage crowds and turns along the parade route.
