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Entertainment Revealed for St. Pete’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
Feb
St. Pete’s highly anticipated Paddy Fest returns to Williams Park on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 11 am to 9 pm, promising a day filled with Irish festivities. This 3rd annual celebration, a testament to its previous successes, will feature a vibrant atmosphere brimming with Irish culture, food, and entertainment.
Tickets for the event are $10, with proceeds benefiting Ocean Aid 360. Children 13 and under are admitted free, and leashed dogs are welcome. The festivities will be hosted by Irish musician Sean Patrick Walsh, broadcasting live on the jumbotron.
Paddy Fest offers a comprehensive Irish experience, showcasing traditional food like corned beef, Irish whiskey and beer including Guinness, and live Irish music. The Dunedin Pipe Band and St. Pete Irish Dance will perform, and the main event will be Leprechaun Wrestling with the Midget Wrestling All-Stars.
The festival is family-friendly, featuring an expanded Walker Wealth Kids’ Zone with bounce houses, a Gaga Ball pit, giant slides, and a 90-foot obstacle course. The Tampa Bay Rowdies will also be present, offering soccer activities for children. The Kids’ Zone, limited to children 13 and under, requires a $5 wristband for all-day access. A shepherd’s pie eating contest, broadcast on the jumbotron, adds to the family fun.
New this year is the 21+ Tullamore DEW Experience, an exclusive area for adults with live Irish music, magic from Cory Van Valin, Guinness pints, Irish whiskey tastings, and private restrooms. The VIP tent, air-conditioned by Mercury Heating & Air, will host an Irish Coffee & Espresso Martini Hour. Entry is $10 and requires proof of age.
“Whiskey Row” will offer samples from various brands, and Kahwa Coffee will provide free coffee until 4 pm. DryveBox, a mobile golf simulator, will also be featured.
The festival will showcase local culinary talent, with an Irish food tent offering traditional dishes and food trucks like LaStrada Mobile Kitchen, Galvin’s Goodies, and Pamz Pizza Conez. Full liquor bars will be available throughout the park.
Paddy Fest, organized by the City of St. Pete and the team behind Mary Margaret’s Irish Pub and The Galley, aims to highlight the best of St. Pete. The event supports Ocean Aid 360, building on the over $20,000 raised last year.
The festival emphasizes local support, featuring local food trucks, artists, and vendors. Local chef Melanie Rattanachane from Fresh Factory will curate the Irish dishes.
Organizers Pete Boland and Kat Van Dora, who also run Mary Margaret’s Irish Pub, are St. Pete natives with extensive experience in event planning. They are also hosting the inaugural “Shamrock The Block Party” at Mary Margaret’s on March 17th.
Paddy Fest is made possible by sponsors like Guinness, Tullamore Dew, Mary Margaret’s, Mercury Heating and Air, Modern Shore, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Walker Wealth Management, Kahwa Coffee, and others.
Official T-shirt store online: St Patrick’s Day.