Shamrock & Roll in Five Points

Five Points doesn’t mess around on St. Patrick’s Day. On March 15, the streets flood with green, the music cranks up, and the whole district turns into an Irish takeover for the St. Pat’s in Five Points Festival. Bagpipes, beer, and enough shamrocks to last a lifetime—this is the party you don’t want to miss.

The fun kicks off with the Get to the Green 5K/10K, followed by the St. Pat’s Parade at 10 a.m. Then it’s festival time: six stages of live music, a packed street party, and a Pot O’ Gold Playland for the kids while you track down your next pint.

Get Here, Get Green, Get Going!

• Where: Five Points, Columbia
• When: Saturday, March 15 | 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Tickets: Available online now (prices go up at the gate). Life Hack: The parade on Devine Street actually is free to attend—if you're outside of festival gates!
• Getting there: Free parking at SC State Fairgrounds (824 Andrews Rd.), with shuttles every 30 min, 6:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Drop-off at Blossom & Laurens.

Music, Mugs, and a Whole Lot of Green

Live music takes over Five Points, blending rock, funk, folk, and Celtic jams. Headliners bring serious heat—GRAMMY-nominated Lettuce drops funk-infused grooves, Shane Smith and the Saints bring country-rock straight from Yellowstone, The Stews go full indie-grit, and Badfish fuels the crowd with Sublime tributes.

Feeling hungry? Step into "Irish Alley," an inflatable Irish pub (yep, you read that right) on O'Devine Street, where pints flow and traditional Irish eats are on the menu.  Guinness, local (green) brews, craft cocktails, and seltzers keep the taps busy—plus, there’s a Mocktail Lounge for the designated leprechauns. Need a water break? Hydration stations are scattered around, so bring a bottle and pace yourself.

And for the perfect St. Pat’s photo op, don’t forget to head to the Five Points fountain, dyed bright green just for the occasion! Snap a pic, raise a pint, and tag #RealColumbiaSC—this is a day worth remembering.

By sundown, the music will fade, the last pints will be raised, and the sea of green will start to clear—but the stories? Those will last a whole lot longer.

Make more South Carolina memories—find all the fun at www.guidetosouthcarolina.com/arts-entertainment.