St. Pat’s in Five Points returns to Columbia, South Carolina this Saturday, March 15

St. Pat’s in Five Points, South Carolina’s largest one-day festival, returns for its 43rd event this Saturday, March 15, from 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. in Columbia, S.C. The festivities kick off with the Get to the Green race at 7:30 a.m., followed by the St. Pat’s Parade at 10 a.m. and live music performances beginning at 11 a.m.

“Each year, we welcome thousands of locals and visitors alike to experience the one-of-a-kind energy of St. Pat’s in Five Points,” says Heather McDonald, executive director of the Five Points Association. “As we celebrate 43 years of community, music and unforgettable memories, we look forward to continuing the tradition. From the Get to the Green race and St. Pat’s parade to the Pot O’ Gold Playland and live music, there’s something for everyone at this year’s event.”

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• A’Ja Wilson is this year’s St. Pat’s Parade grand marshal. Wilson—WNBA champion and MVP player with the Las Vegas Aces, Gamecock basketball legend and Olympic gold medalist—was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s 2025 Women of the Year.
• Get to the Green park and ride: Race participants can park for free in the grass lot at the corner of Heidt Street and Millwood Avenue, across from The First Nazareth Church. The COMET will provide complimentary shuttle service from 6-10 a.m. to transport runners to and from the race starting line.
• The Saint alcohol-free mocktail lounge returns to St. Pat’s this year and will be located across from the Five Points fountain near the Greene Street entrance. Presented in partnership with Cola Love, courtesy of Columbia Fireflies, The Saint will showcase an exclusive selection of mocktails in collaboration with Godspeed, Backstreets, Columbia Fireflies and Sallie’s Greatest.
• Logan’s Inflatable Irish Pub will join the festival’s Irish Alley on Devine Street. Traditional Irish fare will be available for purchase in partnership with Southern Way Catering.
• Refillable water stations will be provided courtesy of 32 Dental. Guests are encouraged to bring empty reusable water bottles (plastic or aluminum; no glass) to refill at hydration stations, located throughout the festival.
• Free satellite parking will be available at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds RV lot, 824 Andrews Road in Columbia, with complimentary shuttle service provided by The COMET. The lot opens at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, with shuttles running every 30 minutes from 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Overnight parking will also be provided.
• St. Pat’s in Five Points is a cashless event. Gate ticket sales, St Pat.’s in Five Points official beverage stations and Irish Alley will be credit card only.

Please note, independent vendors may still accept cash and/or credit.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
7:30 a.m. – Get to the Green 5K, 10K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run

• The Get to the Green race, presented by MUSC Health, starts and finishes on Devine Street near the festival entrance. Costumes and good luck charms are welcomed and encouraged.
• Registration includes a “Get to the Green” race shirt and medal along with festival entry.
• Packet Pickup:
  • Thursday, March 13: Strictly Running, 2515 Devine St., Columbia
  • Friday, March 14: Strictly Running, 2515 Devine St., Columbia
  • Saturday, March 15 (race day): Start/finish line.
• Race participants can park for free in the grass lot at the corner of Heidt Street and Millwood Avenue, across from The First Nazareth Church.

Complimentary shuttle service from The COMET will run from 6-10 a.m., transporting runners to and from the race starting line.

10 a.m. – Festival Gates Open

10 a.m. – St. Pat’s Parade

• The St. Pat’s Parade, presented by Carolina Gold Construction, covers a one-mile stretch that starts at Devine Street and Sims Avenue, turns right onto Harden Street and ends on College Street.
• The parade is free to attend on Devine Street outside the festival gates. A ticket must be purchased or presented to enjoy the parade from inside the festival gates.
• This year’s grand marshal is A’ja Wilson, WNBA champion and MVP for the Las Vegas Aces and former University of South Carolina basketball legend. The most decorated athlete in USC history, Wilson was the program’s first National Player of the Year, a four-time All-American, and a three-time SEC Player of the Year—the first in league history. In 2018, she was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, becoming the first top pick in Gamecock basketball history. Wilson was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s 2025 Women of the Year.
• Elizabeth as Taylor, performing at 1:15 p.m. on the Michelob Ultra Greene Stage, will also join this year’s parade festivities, performing some of Taylor Swift’s favorite hits.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Pot O’Gold Playland

• The Pot O’Gold Playland, presented by Mount Valley Foundation, is located in the Andy’s Deli parking lot at 2005 Greene St.
• Free for children 12 and under.
• Activities include: balloon artistry, face painting, rides and more.
• The Pot O’Gold Playland stage is presented by Columbia Arts Academy and will feature student performers from the school.
• Family entrance: Adults/Guardians can receive a one-time re-entry into the festival only at the Greene Street Family Gate, located at Andy’s Deli.

11 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Live Music Performances

7 p.m. – Festival Ends

MUSIC LINEUP

This year’s event will feature a variety of local, regional and national acts across multiple stages, including headlining performances from Lettuce, Shane Smith and The Saints, The Stews and Badfish. Columbia-based recording artist, producer, entrepreneur and hip-hop activist Master Splnta will return as this year’s host. For the complete music lineup, visit https://stpatscolumbia.com/live-music.

• Michelob Ultra Greene Street Stage
  • Shane Smith and the Saints (5:45 p.m.)
  • Cameron Whitcomb (4:15 p.m.)
  • Scythian (2:45 p.m.)
  • Elizabeth as Taylor (1:15 p.m.)
  • Mary English (11:45 a.m.)
• Miller Lite Blossom Street Stage
  • The Stews (5:30 p.m.)
  • Mr. Fahrenheit (3:45 p.m.)
  • Bombargo (2:15 p.m.)
  • Winyah (1 p.m.)
  • Damn Skippy (11:45 a.m.)
  • MC Loud (during set breaks)
• Tito’s Vodka Santee Avenue Stage
  • Badfish (5:15 p.m.)
  • Congress the Band (3:30 p.m.)
  • Bernie Love (2 p.m.)
  • Lola Grace & the Night (12:30 p.m.)
  • Clay Johnson & The Hard Promises (11:15 a.m.)
• Saluda Avenue Stage
  • Lettuce (6 p.m.)
  • Colony House (4:30 p.m.)
  • Penelope Road (3 p.m.)
  • Blake Whiten (1:30 p.m.)
  • Virginia Man (12:15 p.m.)
  • Caminator (11:15 a.m.)
• Free Times Fountain Stage
  • Master Splnta (10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

STREET CLOSURES
• Friday, March 14
– 8 a.m. – 2100 block of Greene Street.
– 6 p.m. – 600 and 700 blocks of Harden Street.
• Saturday, March 15
– 2 a.m. – All other streets within Five Points.

TICKETS
All festival tickets are digital and can be purchased online at StPatsColumbia.com. Tickets will also be sold at the gate on the day of the festival. St. Pat’s in Five Points is a rain-or-shine event; all tickets are non-refundable. The festival follows ADA regulations on service animals and does not recognize emotional support, therapy, comfort or companion animals.

• General admission tickets
o Advance tickets: $30 until midnight on March 14.
o Gate price: $35 on March 15.
o Children 12 and under are admitted free with a parent/guardian who is 21+. Parents and guardians can receive a one-time re-entry into the festival at the Greene Street family gate, located at Andy’s Deli. No other re-entries are permitted.

Hornitos Lucky Leprechaun VIP Lounge
o Location: Corner of Harden Street and Saluda Avenue, in front of the Postcard Mural.
o Price: $125 per ticket (limited quantities).
o Includes:
 Festival entry.
 Access to special lounge area in the middle of the festival zone.
 Climate-controlled restrooms with private stalls.
 Yard games, tables and seating.
 VIP viewing area from the side of each stage (first come, first served).
 Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and liquor.

The Saluda’s and Tito’s Ultra-Premium VIP Experience
o Location: Saluda’s Restaurant, 751 Saluda Ave.
o Price: $200 per ticket (very limited quantities).
o Includes:
 Festival entry.
 Access to Saluda’s restaurant, featuring a balcony overlooking the center of the festival.
 Complimentary beer, wine and liquor.
 Premium hors d’oeuvres.
 Indoor restroom facilities.

ADA ACCESSIBLE VIEWING
ADA accessible viewing areas will be located at all stages within the festival. These will be marked with signage as well as noted on the festival map.

CAMERA POLICY
Due to contracts with the artists performing at St. Pat’s in Five Points, professional recording equipment (photography, video and/or sound) will not be permitted at the festival without proper media credentials.

APPROVED AND PROHIBITED ITEMS
To provide a safer environment and more expedited entry for festival attendees, St. Pat’s in Five Points has a clear bag policy that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into the festival footprint. Please be aware that all bags/pockets will be subject to search upon entry.

Approved bags:
o Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that do not exceed 12 x 6 x 12 inches.
o A clear bag shall be clear from top-to-bottom, with up to a 2-inch trim/border.
o One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).
o Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches (approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap).
o Clear fanny packs.
o Diaper bags.
o Medically necessary items.
• Prohibited bags:
o Purses larger than a clutch bag.
o Briefcases.
o Backpacks.
o Cinch/drawstring bags.
o Luggage of any kind.
o Computer bags.
o Binocular cases.
o Camera bags.
• Other approved Items:
o Strollers and wagons with accompanying child.
o Small digital or film cameras.
o Sunblock (non-aerosol).
o Empty refillable water bottles.
o Baby food/formula (no glass).
o Food for medical purposes.
o Service animals.
o Mobile phones and chargers.
o Hand sanitizer and baby wipes.
• Other prohibited Items:
o NO glass admitted.
o NO aerosol cans.
o NO outside alcohol.
o NO outside food or drinks.
o NO umbrellas.
o NO weapons.
o NO laser pointers.
o NO SLRs, professional cameras, video cameras or GoPros.
o NO selfie sticks or tripods.
o NO pets (with the exception of service animals).
o NO drugs or drug paraphernalia.
o NO musical equipment or instruments.
o NO fireworks or paper lanterns.
o NO drones, remote control aircraft, cars or toys.
o NO coolers.
o NO promotional items or flyers.

OFFICIAL HOTEL PARTNER
Plan your stay with the event’s official hotel partner, Aloft Columbia Downtown, 823 Lady St.

SATELLITE PARKING
• FREE parking is available at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds RV lot, 824 Andrews Road in Columbia. Parking gate 22 will open at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 15.
• The parking lot will be closed and locked at 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Vehicles parked overnight can be picked up after 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 16.
• The COMET will run free shuttles to the festival every 30 minutes from 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. The shuttle drop-off/pick-up location is at the corner of Blossom and Laurens Streets.

NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING
Please be respectful of surrounding neighborhoods and use the satellite parking and shuttle instead. Festival parking is prohibited in the following neighborhoods:
• Hollywood-Rose Hill.
• Melrose Heights.
• MLK Park.
• Old Shandon.
• Shandon.
• University Hill.
• Wales Garden.
• Waverly.
• Wheeler Hill.

ADA PARKING
• ADA parking will be available inside the former Wells Fargo lot at 705 Saluda Ave.
• Parking route: From Blossom Street, turn left on Pickens Street. Take a right on Greene Street, then right on Laurens Street and back down to Blossom Street.
• Proper identification will need to be displayed for patrons to access the lot.

RIDESHARES
Rideshares, such as Uber or Lyft, pick-up and drop-off locations are at Greene and Blossom Streets.

COMMUNITY IMPACT
The 2024 St. Pat’s in Five Points festival welcomed more than 32,000 attendees of all ages from across the Midlands region and beyond. Additionally, 2,237 participants from 14 states, ranging in ages from under 18 to over 65 years old, took part in last year’s Get to the Green race. The festival brings in approximately $12.7 million to the City of Columbia and Richland County, allowing the Five Points Association the opportunity to give back to the community that has been its biggest supporter. Throughout the event’s 42-year history, the Five Points Association has donated more than $1.3 million to local charities.

For more information, visit StPatsColumbia.com or follow the festival on Facebook @StPatsinFivePoints and Instagram @stpatsinfivepoints. To learn more about sponsorships, vendor or parade applications and/or volunteering, please email [email protected].

 

About St. Pat’s in Five Points

Set in the vibrant Five Points district of Columbia S.C., St. Pat’s in Five Points is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day festivals in the Southeast, drawing 32,000+ attendees of all ages from across the region and beyond. The annual event showcases a diverse lineup of musical acts across multiple stages and also features a variety of vendors, food trucks, artisans and family-friendly attractions, including the Pot O’ Gold Playland, the Get to the Green race and the St. Pat’s Parade. Originally conceived by Duncan MacRae of Yesterday’s Restaurant & Tavern, Steve Gibson of Peddler Steak House, Chuck Pettit of the Columbia Jaycees and Tony Latella of PYA Monarch, St. Pat’s in Five Points is a Columbia tradition known for its fun atmosphere and focus on giving back to the Midlands community. To date, the Five Points Association has donated more than $1.3 million to local charities.

About the Five Points Association

Founded in 1983, the Five Points Association is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the growth and evolution of Five Points, a one-of-a-kind commercial and residential district that is home to more than 100 businesses. Led by an executive director and governed by a board of directors, the Five Points Association oversees the efforts to promote, grow and support the Five Points district. The Five Points Association oversees the district’s events, development, clean and safe team and beautification projects. Visit https://fivepointscolumbia.com to learn more.