Advice from Locals: Spending St. Patrick's Day in Savannah

Candid advice from WSAV staff:

The best way to watch the parade for those who prefer to stay away from crowds… WSAV's live broadcast!!

Don’t paint or dye your dog, cat or kid’s hair green; it won’t come out afterwards and you’ll just have to shave them.

Find a way to put valuables in something like a fanny pack. Wallets and purses can be lifted easily.

You can park across the river and take a ferry to River Street, or take the free shuttles from Oglethorpe Mall to downtown. However, with the shuttle it might take you an hour to go from point A to B.

Park at the mall and use the shuttle service to get downtown, or take a cab. Parking downtown during St. Pat's is like driving an SUV through a Cheerio (it ain't going to happen).

Pack a lot of green.

Bring snacks, bottled water and anti-bacterial hand gel.

Don’t forget your cameras, batteries, cell phones and chargers.

Bring cash! The ATM often runs out of money on River Street.

Dress in layers; it may be chilly in the morning, but it heats up during the day.

Don’t wear nice clothes because you might get beer spilt on them.

Wear comfortable (but not nice) walking shoes.

Bring tissues for toilet paper because the porta-potties run out.

No matter how badly you have to go to the bathroom, use a port-o-let or real restroom. Police will arrest you for urinating in public.

River Street is not a bad place for families with children to go during the day on St. Pat's, but they might not want to be there when the sun goes down.

Rules from Police

• DO keep alcohol in paper, plastic, or styrofoam cups. Glass bottles are prohibited on the street.
• DO only carry one drink at a time and limit it to 16 ounces in size
• DON'T drink alcohol in a parked vehicle
• DON'T bring alcohol into the gated area on River Street
• DON'T drink alcohol or have it in your hand without a wristband in the festival area.
• DON'T think about exposing yourself or urinating in public

Police say any of the crimes above come with a maximum punishment of a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.

Share Your Advice

We want to hear from YOU! Give us your advice for how to spend St. Pat's in Savannah... Where's the best place to watch the parade, the best place to get drinks, the best concert location, the best parking place?

Email us your input here and we'll post it on this page!

New This Year

- No one will be allowed to camp out in the squares overnight. They will be off limits to everyone until 6 a.m. on the day of the parade.

- You will also see new barricades at Montgomery and MLK.

- On River Street you will see new turnstiles at all the entrances, and the city says it will stop letting people in once the crowd reaches a yet-to-be-determined size.

- Police will have light towers up and down the street to make seeing into the crowd easier.

- They will also establish a police-only corridor between the river and the street so that officers and safety personnel can get from one end to the other quickly.