St.Patrick’s Day is one of those days when everyone, no matter your blood nationality, is Irish. You break out everything that’s green in your closet. You already bought those adorable shamrock temporary tattoos from Walmart. And now all you need is a place to show off this awesome display of Irish pride. Fear not, Columbia’s got you covered.
Five Points is an area of downtown Columbia full of bars, restaurants and boutiques. It is also the location of the city’s annual St.Pat’s Festival put on by the Five Points Association. This year the festival will be held on Saturday, March 15th. The fountains will flow green, the streets roped off and an estimated 400,000 community members will pour onto Harden Street.
Here is some great information on how to enjoy the day and all the festivities Five Points has to offer.
There is no age limit for ticket purchases. You can buy your ticket ahead of time and save $3. From now until Friday, March 14th at 3 pm you can order them online or at 6 pre-sale outlets around town. Advance tickets are $12 each and gate tickets are $15 each.
Events begin at 7:30 AM with the Get to the Green: 10k/5k/Family Fun 1-miler. Followed by the parade at 10 AM on Devine street. Live music, drinking and food can be enjoyed from 12 PM-6 PM. Several musicians and bands will play on four different stages set up around the festival. From 12 PM-3 PM you can celebrate the state dance and learn how to shag.
If you’re driving to the festival:
A) Be responsible and DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.
The Five Points Association and Checker Yellow will cover the first $10 of your fare to your home or hotel!
B) There are three parking lots that have shuttle service to and from the festival grounds. Shuttles run every 20 minutes.
You can park in the Capital City Stadium located on Assembly Street and Park Street behind the Koger center from 8 AM-8 PM. From 11 AM-8 PM you may park your vehicle at Hand Middle School on the King Street side.
Now for the food. If you’ve been craving State Fair confections, this is your opportunity for a Spring fix. One word: fried. If you’re 21 you’ll need the grease to save your stomach from a responsible number of tallboys (24-oz. can of beer). The open bottle law is suspended for the day (within the ropes!), so the bars open up their doors and you can take your drink all over Five Points.
Please enjoy responsibly.
For more information please visit their official website