St. Patrick’s Parade: ride a bike!

St. Patrick’s Day and the parade are upon us next week! A green deluge of marching bands, elected officials, local businesses, and folks of Irish and every other decent will flood downtown Savannah on Thursday morning. It’s a sight to behold, and one of the most sociable dates on the Savannah calendar.  Still, the crowds can be difficult to navigate, and parking a car anywhere near the parade route can prove time consuming and expensive.

So, what’s a campaigner to do? Ride a bike to the parade! Throw your picnic in a backpack (or a trailer) and pedal to the route! Keep in mind, however, that barricades prevent your crossing the parade route pretty much everywhere, so it makes good sense to plan your route in advance, which is why we’re sharing the full parade route with you here (below). If you’ll be watching in a square, take a look at the list below for your entry side, and remember that Drayton Street is full of floats and other parade accoutrement next to Forsyth Park, but is wide open to bicycles (and closed to cars) north of Gaston for access into the interior of the parade route (in yellow).

As always, give yourself extra time, be courteous to your fellow road users on foot and in cars, and make sure you lock your bike securely.

Squares for parade viewing:

• Calhoun: open side is west, take Drayton to Wayne or Gordon
• Lafayette: open side is east, take Lincoln to Macon or Harris
• Colonial Park Cemetery/Davant Park: open side is east, take Lincoln to Perry Ln
• Oglethorpe: open side is west, take Drayton to York or President
• Johnson: open side is east, take Drayton to St. Julian or Bryan
• Wright: open side is west, take Barnard to York
• Chippewa: open side is east; use Drayton to McDonough or Hull