It’s a day circled in green on locals’ calendars every year – the Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade, held this year on March 17. All signs point to this year’s parade being one for the record books – not just because, due to the serendipity of the calendar, the parade will be held on St. Patrick’s Day.
No, that heightened energy is infusing the entire weekend surrounding the parade, from the earlier start time of 2 p.m. to the appearance of the Budweiser Clydesdales at the parade, to the Shamrock Run 5K held the day before.
And while the entire length of Pope Avenue will be giving way to the greatest party you’ve ever experienced, the real fun will happen at one end of it, where great live music and laughter will pour forth from the emerald-tinted celebration central of Coligny Plaza.
The entire plaza will be a sea of green-clad revelers, but two places in particular will serve as anchors for the open-air extravaganza. First stop, The Frosty Frog, a place where even your average Tuesday is a party. For parade day, they have the party started early with legendary local rock band Cranford Hollow taking the stage before the parade. They’ll be followed by the crowd-pumping sound of Groove Town Assault.
“It was a real collective effort between us and Coligny to put on this show during the parade,” said Frosty Frog’s Rusty Jacquiss. “The parking lot gets blocked off, everyone enjoys a little pre-parade fun, and you get to see all the people you haven’t seen in a while.”
But a party like the Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade demands more entertainment than any one stage could provide. The true festival atmosphere of the day will see dueling live music performances, as The Sandbar sets up its own stage right along the parade route.
Pretty Darn will take that stage at 11 a.m., playing their crowd-pleasing acoustic jams, flanked by a Tito’s Bloody Mary Bar and an outdoor grill serving up sausage and pepper sandwiches and burgers.
John Cranford, Eric Reid, Lindsay Cranford, Nick Poulin, Kyle Wareham, Nate Douglas and Matt Robbins
“The Bloody Mary Bar will open at 10. Normally we wouldn’t open that early, but it’s a party,” said Sandbar owner Erika Waronsky. “And we’re going to have the grill running all day so folks can grab something quick and relatively inexpensive. … It’s a great spot to watch the parade.”
Waronsky notes that Carolina Coffee & Crumbs, which she also owns, will participate in the 5K on Friday with a table at the end offering free breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and water for runners. Because the party at Coligny isn’t just about the parade, it’s a celebration that never stops.
In fact, the entire month will see stores at Coligny competing in their own version of March Madness, with defending champs Piggly Wiggly going head-to-head with newcomers like Seabags, Fire & Pine, and Cafe Al Dente to determine who is this year’s champion.
You can vote for your favorites at ColignyPlaza.com/Events. One lucky voter will win a $250 gift card good at any of the amazing shops and restaurants in Coligny.
