It’s officially party time.

Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is in full swing and provided the weather holds out, there’s plenty of outdoor fun in store from now until Monday, March 18th.

The Cork St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place at 1pm this Sunday March 17th, with more than 2000 community participants, floats from Cork and all over the country and several marching bands from the United States preparing to hit the route through the city.

Five-times Olympian and world champion race walker Rob Heffernan is the Grand Marshal of the parade, which begins at the junction of South Mall and Parnell Place, makes its way along South Mall and Grand Parade, then up St. Patrick’s Street to finish on Merchants Quay.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• The parade will be streamed live at this link from 12.45pm on Sunday. If you’d like to send a message to the live stream – a greeting from near or far to be read out on air – email parade@corkcity.ie.
• Fancy a bit of live trad music for the day that’s in it? The Lee Sessions Trad Trail runs in Cork City Centre Pubs throughout the weekend.
• The St. Patrick’s Day Market runs across Saturday, March 16th and Sunday, March 17th, from 10am-5pm daily on Emmet Place.
• Irish Language Guided Tours of CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory will take place throughout the weekend.
• Bringing the kids to town? Check out St. Patrick’s Day Family Sunday on March 17th, kicking off at 3pm in the Glucksman Gallery, UCC.
• Tours of Cork’s Heritage Buildings and guided walks will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Find out more about how you can join in for free here.
• Wheelchair users and those with special needs will be accommodated in a special area on St. Patrick’s Street, and there will be ISL Interpreter Services available beside the Viewing Stand – also on St. Patrick’s Street, near the entrance to Carey’s Lane.

For further details and information on city access, park and ride bus facilities and traffic restrictions, visit the festival website.