The Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival in downtown, North Myrtle Beach, SC is a entertainment packed day to remember filled with activities: crafts, parade, entertainment, food, music and more. The 20th annual parade and festival was celebrated on March 15th, 2008.
The parade was first held on March 11, 1988 and was created to entertain Canadians and entice them to come to Myrtle Beach during the Can-Am Week Celebration. The first parades were hosted at North Myrtle Beach's Surfwood Shopping center, but by 1992 the parade and crowds had out grown the site. Today the parade runs along Main Street. In 1997 the first televised parade was hosted as the crowds keep growing.
The Parade and Festival is one of the main attractions of Can-Am week, an older festival dating back to 1963 designed for Canadians and Americans to enjoy the wonderful festivals, shopping, dinning, events, concerts, movies, theater, local bars, live entertainment and summer activities happening along the
Grand Strand. The St. Patrick's Day Parade and festival attracts some 30,000 locals and visitors alike.
The parade started with the St. Patrick Day floats, held on the closest Saturday to March 17th, and like all parades had its marching bands. Since then the Parade has grown into a festival attracting many bands, community groups and service style organizations. The 2008 festivities included food, live entertainment, and arts and crafts. The children were even kept occupied with games and activities. When you are there, purchase a souvenir or sweatshirt, listen to the ongoing music piping through the strand, and stay long after the parade ends to enjoy the street concerts or relax in the many jazz and piano bars.
