Phoenix St. Patrick's Day Parade goes virtual: What to expect and how to watch

PHOENIX — While the in-person St. Patrick's Day Parade and Faire were canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that does not mean the celebration is canceled. Instead, the event has now gone virtual.

The inaugural virtual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 13, from noon to 8 p.m. You can watch and stream the free event at www.phxvirtualstpatricksday.org.

Organizers behind the event said they have over eight hours of up-to-the-second content, including recorded and live musical performances, dances, readings, and shout-outs from dignitaries from around the world.

"We have some incredible acts. We have over 90 musical performances, appearances from local celebrities, to kind of everything in between," said Ciara Archer, operations director at the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library and part of the parade's organizing committee. "Irish celebrities. We span the globe, literally. We have North America, Canada, Dubai, Australia, Austria, Ireland, of course. So yeah, it’s a huge event and we never anticipated it would be this much, but it turned out really great. We’re excited."

The 2020 event was initially going to go on as planned as COVID-19 cases were beginning to appear in multiple states across the country and was ultimately canceled days before the event.

"It was really hard being that it was so close, but it was the right thing to do," said Archer.

While the event is full of fun, history, and celebrations, it is also a way to support local businesses.

Without the annual fair this year, the Irish Cultural Center has created an online marketplace highlighting some of the vendors and their merchandise to help raise awareness and sales. Shoppers will find everything from Irish and Celtic t-shirts and kilts to decorations and baked goods.

You can view the online marketplace, here.