St Kilda is turning green for St Patrick’s Day with the return of their famous St Patrick’s Festival. This celebration will feature free, family-friendly activities at the start of the day, followed by a ticketed, adults-only event later on. Expect a parade, live music, carnival rides and more! The St Patrick’s Festival will take place in O’Donnell Gardens on Saturday March 18.
St Patrick’s Festival
The festivities will kick off at 10am with fun for the whole family. Find excitement on the carnival rides, see roving entertainers and check out Irish dance shows and live music performances. There will be a Dog Show at 12pm, where you’ll see your furry friends strut their stuff. Parents can cool down with a nice, fresh Guinness in an allocated area while the kids have fun.
At 2pm, a brand-new parade will start at Shakespeare Grove car park, and march down Acland Street. This parade will feature locals from the Irish community, including Irish pubs, dancing clubs and GAA football teams. Put on your best, greenest outfit and join in on the frivolity.
Adults can stick around for the ticketed event after the parade, with live music acts from 3pm like Pat McKernan, The Lost Backpackers and Hermitage Green. Dance your way through the night, and take part in games and other forms of entertainment. There will be plenty of food vendors on site, as well as beer tents to quench your thirst.
All festivalgoers will also go in the draw to win a $3,300 travel voucher. Those attending the ticketed event will automatically go in the draw. If you’re attending the free family event, you can enter the competition by filling out the form on the St Patrick’s Festival website. The winner will be announced at the festival.