COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The St. Pat’s in Five Points festival is set to take over Columbia’s Five Points entertainment district Saturday, marking the event’s 44th year.
The festival opens to the public at 10 a.m., preceded by the “Get to the Green” races. The full-day event includes music, food and a parade.
Organizers describe St. Pat’s in Five Points as South Carolina’s largest one-day festival, drawing tens of thousands of attendees each year. Some visitors traveled by car and by plane to attend.
Kendall Roy, a University of South Carolina graduate, said she and her friends returned to Columbia specifically for the festival.
“The energy is just unmatched. I mean, I don’t think there’s any other St. Patrick’s Day festival in the country that I’d rather be at,” Roy said.
Roy said the event also serves as a reunion of sorts.
“We came back, and we see a lot of alumni and also our friends who are still students here. So it’s just a nice time to kind of get back together, see everybody,” she said.
Vendors, bars and restaurants in the Five Points area are also preparing for the influx of attendees.
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks on Harden Street, which first opened just days before last year’s festival, said it has added staff and special menu items for the event. Director of Operations Timothy Lawson said the business learned from its first festival experience.
“We were really busy, and we wanted to make sure that we had enough people taken on this year… I’ve got some extra staff supporting tomorrow night. And we’ve got some strong specials going on for tomorrow night as well,” Lawson said.
Green banana pudding is among the restaurant’s special festival offerings.
Cola Kicks, located near the heart of the festival footprint, is also preparing for increased foot traffic. Employee Carson Greene said events like St. Pat’s in Five Points carry significant weight for local businesses.
“Man, it’s extremely important. You know, Cola Kicks, we’re definitely not the smallest, but we’re not the biggest company. So, we want to take this event to our advantage and definitely welcome in a lot more people,” Greene said.
Free satellite parking will be available at the Fairgrounds, with shuttles operating throughout the day. Organizers are reminding attendees of security screening at entrances and the clear-bag policy.
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