Knoxville to host St. Patrick’s Day Parade for first time in three years

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set to return this year to downtown Knoxville on Friday, March 17. This will be the first time in three years that the parade will make its way through downtown.

The parade will begin on the eastbound lanes of Howard Baker Jr. Avenue at 6:55 p.m. before heading west on Church Avenue, then turning right onto northbound Gay Street and ending at Gay and Magnolia Avenue.

The parade will require the closure of the eastbound lanes of Howard Baker Jr. Avenue, beginning at 5 p.m. with Westbound Howard Baker will remaining open. Gay Street will close at 6:30 p.m. with all streets reopening by 8:30 p.m..

The city of Knoxville also announced several no-parking zones starting at noon on Friday, however all city-owned garages in Knoxville are free after 6 p.m. The areas will be at:

• Gay Street between Cumberland and Magnolia avenues, including the 100 block of Gay and the Gay Street Viaduct over the Old City railroad tracks
• Church Avenue, between Gay Street and Hall of Fame Drive
• Market Street, between Union and Clinch avenues
• Union Avenue, between Walnut and Gay streets
• Eastbound lanes of Howard Baker, between Hall of Fame and Hill Avenue

The 2020 and 2021 Knox St. Patrick’s Day parades were cancelled due to COVID-19 safety protocols while a late winter snow storm caused the 2022 parade to be cancelled. Knoxville City officials said that this Friday’s event will be held rain or shine.

Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved.