Organizers of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dallas are expecting 125,000 people for the event this weekend. This will be the 43rd year for the Dallas Mavs St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival.
Road closures start at 6 a.m. Saturday. Events start at 8 a.m. with the St. Paddy’s Day Dash Down Greenville 5K. The parade starts at 11 a.m.
Kevin Vela, chair of the Greenville Avenue Area Business Association board, says people will start staking out spaces along the route Friday night.
"We haven't seen anything larger until you get up to Chicago or Boston," he says. "It truly is one of the best days of the year in the Metroplex."
Road closures will start at 6 a.m. Saturday for the 5k. They will reopen as soon as runners pass through.
For the parade and festival, Greenville Avenue and other streets will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A complete list of road closures and parking restrictions is available at https://www.dallascitynews.net/st-patricks-day-events-traffic-advisory . DART will be providing additional service on the Orange and Red Lines; passengers can reach Lower Greenville from the Park Lane and Lovers Lane stations.
This year's grand marshal is former Dallas Star and NHL Hall of Famer Mike Modano.
"We're so proud to be hosting Mike Modano as our grand marshal this year," Vela says. "Mike Modano is a Dallas Star legend. He won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars."
After the parade, Modano will attend the unveiling of his statue in front of the American Airlines Center.
A block party and festival continue until 7 p.m. Vela says family-friendly events will be set up with an alcohol-free area zone outside the Comerica Bank at Greenville and Lovers.
"You can just walk up and down Greenville and see a bunch of your neighbors and friends, a very family-friendly event," Vela says.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival will continue Saturday rain or shine.
A complete rundown of events and locations is available at https://www.dallasstpp.com/ .
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