Hoops, cars, pianos, parade … downtown will be busy

Downtown streets and sidewalks will be packed for the next few days as major events, including a college basketball tournement, a car show, a major concert and the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, converge on what could be a rain-soaked weekend.

The Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Tournament gets underway at noon Thursday at the Georgia Dome, with four games Thursday, four Friday, two Saturday and the ACC Championship game Sunday.

As many as 50,000 basketball fans are expected to go through the ACC Fan Fest at the Georgia World Congress Center, according to Atlanta Police estimates.

The Atlanta Hawks are at home for two games at Philips Arena, taking on the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. Friday and the Portland Trailblazers at 1 p.m. Sunday.

In between, Philips on Saturday night hosts the Elton John and Billy Joel “Face 2 Face” concert at 7:30 p.m.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution International Auto Show begins a nine-day run at the Georgia World Congress Center on Saturday. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and March 21, noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 20, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday and on March 22.

The weekend’s big outdoor event is Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year’s parade — the 127th in 151 years — steps off at noon Saturday at Peachtree Street and Ralph McGill Boulevard, marching south on Peachtree to Underground Atlanta.

Parade participants could get wet, the National Weather Service said, as a 20 percent chance of rain forecast for Thursday increases to 60 percent Friday and Saturday and 50 percent on Sunday.

It will be a chilly rain, with highs only in the low 50s on Friday and mid-50s on Saturday, forecasters said.