St. Patrick's Day Parade and March Madness sets up for busy weekend in Downtown Sacramento
SACRAMENTO -- The buzz over March Madness has the Downtown Commons packed with visitors, with the fun spilling into Old Sacramento this week.
The combination of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade and people visiting for the tournament is expected to make for a busy weekend.
This weekend's environment is far from where Sacramento was just three years ago. On March 16 2020, California shut down for COVID-19 restrictions. That year, Sacramento was supposed to host March Madness but it was canceled just days before the tournament.
"Just getting out of the lockdown mode and getting back to that real experience of being in a stadium with fans, It should be great!" UCLA fan Stefanie Wulf said.
Outside of the Golden 1 Center Thursday, the streets were packed. With more than 20,000 people visiting Sacramento, DoCo and Old Sacramento are expected to be filled with people for the Saint Patrick's Day celebration and parade.
"A lot of people from different states, a lot of different IDs, constantly carding everyone and we're finding out they're all coming in from out of town," Finnigan's Bartender Mark Matthews said.
Matthews says the Irish pub will be at full staff on Saint Patrick's day as they gear up for a busy weekend.
"it's just a fun time, wearing green, watching sports, and getting paid," Matthews said.