HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND: Downtown Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns after four years

March 9, 2023

Matt Bennett,

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The downtown Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set to return in full swing after being canceled or postponed for years.

The 22nd annual parade is expected to be a good-sized one, according to organizer Joe Newcomb, with more than 60 groups signed up to participate.

“We’ll probably have six, seven hundred people in the parade itself,” Newcomb said.

Among the participants are the 82nd Airborne military band from Fort Bragg, the North Brunswick marching band, and the Wilmington police pipes and drums, as well as other dance groups and community organizations. Former NFL player and Hoggard High School grad Connor Barth will serve as Grand Marshal.

The parade will begin behind the Wilson Center and go down Front Street to Dock Street, turn left and then left again, before ending around Second Street and Market Street.

“We’re excited, we have a big group and a lot of excitement downtown,” Newcomb said. “We get a lot of support from the City of Wilmington. So if the weather holds, we’re going to have a great day.”

The parade will step off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 11th, and those interested in attending are advised to park in the city parking garages, as there will be no parking available on Front Street.

Newcomb also noted that St. Patrick will be present at this year’s parade.

“He’s promised no snakes on the parade route in downtown Wilmington on Saturday,” Newcomb joked.

In 2020, the parade was canceled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was moved to September due to continued pandemic concerns. In 2022, it was canceled a few days prior due to severe weather concerns.

“Everyone is excited because we’ve had the false starts,” Newcomb said, referring to previous attempts to hold the parade. “And there’s that saying everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Now this is March 11th. So there’s two bites of the apple March 11th and March 17th.”

You can find out more information about the parade here.