Tampa’s River O’Green: Here’s what to know for the city’s St. Patrick’s Day festival

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa will be dyed green on Saturday as part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

When is Tampa’s River O’Green?

The River O’Green will be on Saturday, March 15, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Curtis Hixon Park.

Schedule of events

11 a.m. River coloring begins
3-5:30 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Main Stage:

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Irish Buskers (main stage)
1:15- 2:45 p.m. – Paddy O’Furniture (live music)
3:30 p.m. pet costume contest
4-4:45 p.m. – George Pennington & The Odessy (live music)

Terrace Stage:

11:30 a.m. – GrowHouse Tampa poet performance
1 p.m. Finnegan Irish Dance Academy performance
2:30 p.m. – GrowHouse Tampa poet performance
3 p.m. - Finnegan Irish Dance Academy performance

What roads are closed for the River O’Green?

Ashley Drive: Closes at 11:00 a.m.
Gasparilla Plaza: Changes direction at 11:00 a.m., but does not close until 2:00 p.m.
Cass Street at Ashley Drive: Closes at 2:00 p.m.
Road closures are expected to be lifted between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
The waterway between Cass Street and Kennedy Boulevard will be closed at 10:30 a.m. and will reopen at 11:30 a.m.

Where to park for the River O’Green?

Free On-Site Bike Valet, provided by the Tampa Downtown Partnership
Use Transit: Take HART’s free Route 1 or other HART bus routes
Fort Brooke Garage: 107 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
Park in Ybor City & Take the TECO Streetcar to Whiting Station
Twiggs Garage: 901 E Twiggs St, Tampa, FL 33602

Is it safe to dye Tampa’s river green?

City of Tampa officials say the coloring is safe for the environment, non-toxic, biodegradable, and meets EPA standards. The Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County has no objections to its use for short-term events like River O’ Green.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the city of Tampa.

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