More than 125,000 people are expected to turn out along Greenville Avenue for the 38th annual Dallas St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 11, 2017, of course the Dallas Mavericks are the presenting sponsor of the annual two-mile parade through Dallas.
Here's what you need to know to survive the crowds and your own drinking habits.
DASH DOWN GREENVILLE: Even before the parade begins, runners will hit the street for the 22nd Annual St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville at 8 a.m. Registration ends March 10. CLICK HERE for the 5K's official website.
RE-ROUTING: The parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels south on Greenville Avenue. It begins at Greenville at Blackwell Street and ends at SMU Boulevard. Here's the parade's official Facebook page. Roads on and near the parade route will close by at least 10 a.m. While there will be plenty of police and signage to make sure you don't run into one of the 90 floats, trying to drive around the area will be an exercise in patience. Re-route significantly if you're just passing through the area to avoid the traffic or head out as early as 7 a.m. to find a legal parking spot and a good place to watch the parade. CLICK HERE for parade map.
PRIME PARKING: Hitting the parade after-party on Lower Greenville? Parking is, and has always been, the scourge of Lower Greenville, so pay extremely close attention to posted signs -- temporary no parking signs have already gone up in the area and resident parking only signs are posted in neighborhood areas. Carpooling is a great idea for parking reasons, but it's not the only option.
FORGET THE CAR: There are other ways to get to the festivities, DART has teamed up with rideshare services Uber and Lyft to help get you there. First-time riders can even get free rides to and from the DART stations. Uber says use the promo code 'DFWSPD17' to get $10 off your first two rides. Lyft says use the promo code 'LYFT2DART' for $5 off your first five rides.
Do the rest of the Metroplex a favor and don't drive to the party. Jumping on a DART train to Mockingbird Station, Lovers Lane Station or Park Lane Station are convenient and easy ways to make sure you're not taking up parking space, nor drinking and driving. DART provides a special page to help you navigate Saturday's festivities. Shuttles to the party will be available at DART's Mockingbird Station. Taxi stands will also be posted on Greenville Avenue at the conclusion of the event.
DRINK RESPONSIBLY: No alcohol can be brought to the event area, and Dallas police will be enforcing all city ordinances, such as 6-6.1, which addresses public consumption of alcohol, especially outside the designated area of the block party. As in years past, officers will exercise some discretion with enforcement, but don't push your luck of the Irish.
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PARTY AFTER THE PARADE: This isn't a "watch and leave" parade -- Lower Greenville businesses, restaurants, bars, and music venues will all be ready for the day-long party. 15,000 are expected for the block party that runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nearby bars stay open until 2 a.m.
BREW FEST RETURNS: Brew Fest returns for its second year. According to our friends at GuideLive it'll pop up in the Office Depot and Meadows Building parking lots, both are near the intersection of Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue. It'll highlight beer, obviously, as well as food trucks, exhibitors and a DJ station.
MAVERICKS ON DISPLAY: Mavs Corner, featuring food trucks, exhibitors, a Mavs retail shop and Mavericks' entertainers will be at the corner of Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue. You'll also want to be on the look out for the Mavs presence in the parade with two floats, the Mavs Express bus, Mavs Dancers, Mavs mascots and ManiAACs on hand.
IT'S SHOW TIME: Starting at noon in the Energy Square parking lot (corner of Greenville and University), the Dallas Observer presents a concert by Jimmy Eat World, Rooney and The Unlikely Candidates. Admission is $15 in advance and the event is for ages 21 and up.
BE READY FOR RAIN:
Green-tinted beer might be in-season for the party, but don't forget to sip something other than spirits. Bring cash to buy bottled water from the street vendors or bring your own. The high Saturday will be 74 degrees. NBC 5's meteorologists are calling for mostly cloud and breezy conditions with a 60 percent chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Click here for the NBC 5 Meteorologists' written forecast.
Going to the party? Send in your photos of the event to isee@nbcdfw.com and we'll highlight the best in a gallery and on the air!
More: Official Website for the 38th Annual Dallas St. Patrick's Parade & Festival | GuideLive Guide to the Dallas St. Patrick's Parade and Festival
