Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade is today. Here's what to know.

It's going to be a busy weekend in Pittsburgh as the city prepares to host its annual St. Patrick's Day parade. 

The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of the oldest and largest in the country and could bring hundreds of thousands of people to Downtown for a city-wide celebration of Irish pride.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said it's preparing to have a significant number of officers on patrol, and it's working hand-in-hand with fire, EMS and emergency management.

When is Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day parade? 

Before the parade steps off, the 2026 Pittsburgh Parade Day Dash will get underway at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The event will feature a 5K race as well as a 1-mile family fun run/walk throughout parts of the North Shore and Downtown. 

The St. Patrick's Day parade will get underway at 10 a.m. Saturday, near the Greyhound bus station along Liberty Avenue.

From there, the parade will travel along Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies before ending beyond Stanwix Street near Commonwealth Place.

Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day parade dates back to 1869 and features step dancers, marching bands, military members, and community organizations.

"Even in 1993, when there was a blizzard, we marched," Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor said earlier this week. "It's something special to talk about our heritage but also what we do for our community and how many people come to Downtown Pittsburgh for this event."

This year's Miss Smiling Irish Eyes queen, Molly McKenna, and court maidens, Kennedy Kuntz and Sidney Hoover, were crowned at a luncheon at The Rivers Club on Friday afternoon.

"The Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade committee is proud of the exemplary young women chosen to represent Miss Smiling Irish Eyes this year," organizers said in a statement earlier this month. "Their commitments to faith, service, and their love and appreciation for their Irish heritage will be fully celebrated in the days to come."

Road closures, bus detours in place

Several roads will be closed, starting at 7 a.m. The major areas for drivers to avoid are Grant Street, Liberty Avenue and Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Jason Lando said. No parking signs will be posted Downtown, and people who don't move their vehicles will be ticketed and towed. 

Pittsburgh Regional Transit said that more than 50 bus routes will be detoured on Saturday because of the parade and other events. Most detours will begin around 7 a.m. on Saturday and end around 2 p.m., but PRT said some detours will remain in place until 5 p.m. Saturday.

Bars ready for celebrations

At Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District, staff are gearing up for the crowds. Managing general partner Dan Regan said there will be a line of people outside the door waiting to get in. About 1,000 people passed through the pub during last year's celebration.

"It's just surreal to see that many people come in," Regan said. 

Guinness is expected to be the most popular drink of the day, followed by Harp and Smithwick's beers, along with plenty of Jameson whiskey. The pub will also serve traditional Irish favorites like shepherd's pie and lamb stew.

The celebration will extend beyond the bar itself. A large tent will be set up outside with 12 hours of live Irish music, both inside and outside  

"We'll have a beer trailer, there's a stage and we have bands starting on the stage at noon in the tent," said Regan.

There was a brief setback on Friday with a power outage and nearby gas line work, but Regan says those issues have been resolved and the pub is ready for a big day.

"I've done Super Bowls, World Series, All-Star games, all kinds of big events. This is a very big event for us, and I treat it like one of those," Regan said.   

If you're planning to celebrate, the pub opens early, starting with breakfast at 8 a.m. Saturday in the Strip District.