About 40,000 people are predicted to attend St. Pat's in Five Points
The streets of downtown Columbia will flood with a sea of green Saturday as crowds flock to the annual St. Pat's in Five Points festival.
The festival, now in its 29th year, will feature several attractions, including a race, a parade and more than 20 bands playing on four stages throughout the area.
Welcoming nearly 40,000 people each year, many people have purchased tickets in advance online and from nine Five Points businesses, including Qdoba and Yesterday's Restaurant and Tavern, both of which have already sold out.
"We sell out every year ... We usually sell 2,000 tickets online and 8,000 at locations in Five Points," said Merritt McHaffie, executive director of the Five Points Association. "When I checked in with Andy's Deli at 4 p.m. (Thursday), they only had about 40 tickets left."
Tickets will also be sold at entrance gates for $15. A predicted 83-degree forecast indicates the potential for another year of high attendance.
While "a lot of people come for the party," according to McHaffie, St. Pat's in Five Points is designed to be an event for all who wish to attend.
"It's a big event, and we try to have something for all ages and something to appeal to a wide variety of people," McHaffie said.
The day is packed with events many people can enjoy, kicking off with the Get to the Green 5k Run and 1 Mile Walk, with 2,200 runners and walkers already registered. All participants will receive free entry into the festival as well as a free T-shirt and St. Pat's Troll Hair.
Gates to the festival officially open at 9 a.m., with the TD Bank Parade and Wells Fargo Children's Carnival starting at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.
The parade will begin at Dreher High school and march its way down Devine Street and Saluda Avenue, with 100 different units taking part.
"It's really a who's who of Columbia," McHaffie said. "Politicians, local businesses and sports groups are just a few."
Kids and their parents can also play on inflatable rides and interact with petting zoo animals at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Pavillion Street at the Wells Fargo Children's Carnival. The carnival will also provide free food and drinks.
For those of legal drinking age, there will be a specialty beer garden on Saluda Avenue between the Budweiser/Free Times stage and the Direct Auto/WXRY 99.3 stage, two of the four stages on which bands including Hinder, Blackberry Smoke and Columbia natives Crossfade will play from noon until 6 p.m.
Shagging on Santee will also be held from noon until 6 p.m. and is sponsored by the South Carolina Education Lottery. Shag DJs from all over the Midlands will play while free shag and line dance lessons and demonstrations are given.
Guests are encouraged to drink responsibly, and Checker Yellow Cab and the Five Points Association have partnered to cover the first $10 of a cab ride for any who need transportation.