RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – St. Patrick’s Day may be over, but the celebrations aren’t! Richmond’s Irish Festival returns to the corner of 25th Street and Broad Street on Saturday, March 25.
“We have a great weekend,” organizer Stokes McCune told 8News. “We have great Irish beverages from Guinness. We have some great Irish coffee from Tullamore DEW. Folks are up there making it all weekend. We have awesome food. We’ve cooked about a thousand pounds of corned beef this week. So, we have Irish surprise. We’ve got a thousand pounds of fish and chips coming in tomorrow so we’re all excited.”
Thousands of festivalgoers are expected to flood the streets of Church Hill right in front of the historic St. Patrick Catholic Church. Parishioners, friends and family have been preparing thousands of pounds of food for the two-day event.
“The church was built back in 1865 by Irish immigrants to the Church Hill area,” he explained. “They had an old parish on Dock Street and moved it up here in the late 1850s, early 1860s when they started this parish and it’s been here ever since.”
Festivities kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday with a parade and wrap up on Sunday with the Hill Topper 5k.
“It’s the shortest parade in history or in St. Patrick’s Day history. It’s two blocks,” McCune said. “It’s from 24th and East Broad down to 26th and East Broad so that’s a lot of fun.”
McCune says the festival has become a celebration of the Church Hill community.
“When you come up to the gates or up to the beer truck or the food lines, chances are it will be someone from the Church Hill neighborhood,” he said.
Free shuttle parking will be available at 16th and East Broad Street and run back and forth to 24th and East Broad Street.
There is a suggested 5-dollar donation at the front gate. Proceeds benefit the church and local organizations.
More information on band schedules, beneficiaries and parking can be found on the Irish Festival website.
