St. Patrick's Parade 2027

St. Augustine's Celebration of Celtic Heritage Continues

The Celtic Music and Heritage Festival retired in 2026, after creating a much-loved event for 15 years.

The new St. Augustine Celtic Festival and Highland Games continues the tradition with a one-day event on Saturday, March 13, 2027. The new organizers start the day with the traditional St. Patrick's Parade, followed by the Highland Games and a festival with live music and vendors.

St. Augustine's St. Patrick's Parade

According to historic records, on March 17, 1601, the Spanish Colony of St. Augustine held the first recorded parade honoring the feast day of St. Patrick. That first parade also honored the colony's popular Irish priest. In recent years, the St. Augustine parade is the only St. Patrick's Parade held in Northeast Florida. 

The parade features a spectacle of floats, marching bands, pipes and drums, military units, and local community groups.

All photos for this post are from the 2024 parade, by LeVeille. 

Event Details

Admission: Free

When: Saturday, March 13, 2027, at a time to be determined.

Where: In years past, the parade started at Francis Field, headed east on Orange Street (toward the bayfront), and turned right onto South Castillo Drive, then right again onto Cathedral Place, and returned to Francis Field via Cordova Street. The judges sat on the balcony at Ann O'Malley's Irish Pub.

This event is part of the St. Augustine Celtic Festival and Highland Games, organized by the Foundation for Scottish Athletics and a group of active volunteers from St. Augustine. The organization's website is transparent about the process of building a new Celtic Festival for the future, complete with Highland Games, a parade, and a one-day festival with vendors and live music. The St. Augustine Celtic Festival and Highland Games organization welcomes donations and volunteers. 

The Route in 2026

Where: The parade began at Francis Field and followed this route:

This information is for 2026. We will update for 2027 when that information is available.

Free Park-and-Ride Shuttle for 2026 Festivals

The City of St. Augustine provides a free park-and-ride shuttle service downtown during the peak spring break and festival season. 

For a no-cost, easy entry and exit from the Historic Downtown, use the free park-and-ride shuttles. The shuttle service starts at 11:00 a.m. on select Saturdays in March and April 2026, with an 8:00 a.m. start during the two parade days, March 14 and April 4, 2026.

Free parking is available at 198 & 212 West King Street, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and King Street—known as "Broudy's Lot." From there, shuttles run continuously until 9:00 p.m. each Saturday, dropping off and picking up people at the Visitor Information Center.

Paid parking is available at the downtown parking garage, next to Francis Field, on South Castillo Drive. Parking is available in the garage for cars displaying a handicap plate or placard. 

The Park-and-Ride Shuttle Schedule

We will post the schedule early in 2027.