The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2012, at 11:30 am in downtown St. Louis. The parade takes place "rain or shine." It will begin at 18th and Market streets, and proceed east to its conclusion at Broadway and Market streets. Visit the Parade Route page for additional route details. Regularly noted as one of the top in the country, the parade will be comprised of over 120 units, including marching bands, floats, huge cartoon-character balloons, 5000+ marchers, and lots of clowns. Over 250,000 spectators, the largest of any event in downtown St. Louis, are expected to attend, packing the streets with smiling Irish eyes and festive green attire. We welcome our dignitaries, from Ireland and the St. Louis area. Our guests will join Hon. Francis Slay, Mayor of St. Louis; Hon. Charlie Dooley, St. Louis County Executive; other local and regional officials, and the parade's general chairman in leading our parade.