It's going to be a busy St. Patrick's Day parade weekend in Pittsburgh. 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.
Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day parade is one of the oldest and largest in the country and could bring hundreds of thousands of people Downtown for a city-wide celebration of Irish pride this weekend.
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 and will end 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."
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.
This year's Miss Smiling Irish Eyes queen Molly McKenna and court maidens Kennedy Kuntz and Sidney Hoover are being 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."
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Jason Lando is expected to provide a briefing Friday afternoon to discuss safety measures being taken by public safety officials ahead of the busy weekend in the city.
