ROANOKE, Va. – Bars, restaurants, and other businesses are getting ready for one of the largest celebrations of the year in Roanoke.
Downtown will be alive with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shamrock Festival on Saturday, with people flowing into local bars.
Owner of Martin’s Downtown Jason Martin said the St. Patrick’s Day event is always their biggest day of the year.
“It’s just such a great thing for downtown Roanoke to hang our hat on and be a part of,” Martin said.
Martin started planning in December for the event that will feature indoor and outdoor live music, food and more. They’re expecting to see well over 1,000 people.
“If you’re Irish, or not Irish you can be Irish for the day,” Martin said. “If you want to come during the day, it’s a little more tame, and then you know as things go into the day, into the night, it gets a little wilder.”
Meanwhile, the Roanoke Catholic School is getting ready for a family-friendly event.
“We have the food trucks starting to come line up,” Director of Marketing and Media Relations for Roanoke Catholic School Stephanie Oliver said. “We’re getting all of the tables for the beer gardens set up. Those deliveries will be this afternoon, bands are coming to set up sound equipment.”
Their second annual “Celtic Fest on the Hill” will start after the downtown parade wraps up, and it’s free so anyone can come.
“It’s important to give back and offer the community that embraced us so warmly a time to really just enjoy times with friends and family,” Oliver said.
Although the forecast is a little chilly, event organizers aren’t expecting that to keep people away.
“I’m looking at the weather all week and hoping to have fingers crossed for some Irish luck in that department,” Martin said. “Yeah, looking forward to big crowds.”