Savannah go bragh: St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes over coastal Georgia city

SAVANNAH ― Every March 17, green competes with the pink and white of the azaleas in Savannah’s spring color palette.

On Tuesday, with unseasonably chilly temperatures in the low 30s as one of the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades stepped off, red made an appearance in the rosy cheeks and noses of tens of thousands of revelers.

Savannah celebrated its Irish heritage in its trademark fashion on a day too cold for a kilt. It started before dawn with partiers claiming their spots along the sidewalks and in the city’s iconic squares. The festivities formally began two hours later with a Catholic Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and Irish society breakfasts across the Historic District.

And with 2026 grand marshal Marty Hogan leading the way, more than 300 parade units marched the 3-mile route. The grand marshal is elected from among the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, an 800-plus member group that has organized the celebration for the past 100 years.

“I never thought this day would come, and I’m just overwhelmed,” Hogan said. “And the weather is great.”

The parade attracted its usual mix of Irish families, marching bands, bagpipers, military parade units, floats touting local businesses, Alee Shriner troupes and, because it’s an election year, several politicians and political hopefuls.

The parade stretched a bit more than three hours, with the temperature closer to 50 degrees as participants crossed the finish line in the early afternoon under a sunny sky.