ROANOKE, Va. – After months of planning and preparation, Martin’s Downtown Director of Operations Jason Martin said they’re ready to welcome the St. Patrick’s Day crowds this Saturday.
“We look forward to this every year,” said Martin. “It’s by far our busiest day of the year. It always is.”
“It’s just a great way to set up the spring, you know. It’s like the first event of the year. It’s the first outdoor thing we do. We’re coming off the winter and people are just so ready for it. It really is a big boost in the arm for our business,” he added.
With 11 bands, multiple stages, and plenty of food and drink specials, 50 staff members are on standby.
“We’re going to have hundreds, maybe thousands of people come through. So there’s a lot of planning that goes into that,” said Martin.
New this year, Martin’s is offering a sold-out VIP experience at its sister restaurant Sidecar.
“That’s sold out. And we’re super excited to see the response we got for that,” said Martin.
Izzy Post is the director of marketing and communications with Downtown Roanoke, Inc. She said the parade and festival draw in tens of thousands of people from all over the region.
“A lot of our local businesses have said this is the catalyst into the warm summer months and that summer downtown crowd after the post-holiday slump,” said Post. “So they’re really looking forward to this. A lot of our local businesses are hosting events in conjunction with ours. So if you don’t come to the Shamrock Festival, there’s going to be so much going on downtown. You’re going to have plenty to do all day.”
Roanoke City Police are also preparing for the crowds. A spokesperson released a statement to 10 News:
“While we can’t discuss specifics on staffing or the exact details of our safety plan, please know we do have a plan in place and our officers will be visible downtown and during the holiday events.”
Martin’s advice is, “Come early and come ready to have a great time.”
For information about street closures and parking, click here.