25th annual St. Patrick's day festival and parade draws crowds in Old Sacramento
SACRAMENTO - The 25th Annual St. Patrick's Day Festival and Parade took over the streets of Old Sacramento this weekend, bringing a sea of green to the waterfront.
With beautiful weather and sunny skies, the event added a festive atmosphere to the city's already busy weekend, as basketball fans also flocked downtown for March Madness.
Scott Ford, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership's Economic Development Director, explained that the festival was an opportunity to give visitors a variety of activities to do while they were in town for the basketball tournament.
"Of course, we've got all of the fans in town celebrating March Madness -- we wanted to give them a variety of other activities to do here in Old Sacramento Waterfront while they're in town," he said.
The festival featured live music, dancers, and historic re-enactors, with people of all ages coming out to experience several Irish traditions.
For basketball fans, it was also a chance to secure a little extra luck before their big games.
"We're going to hang out here for a while, go down there, hang out, get the vibe for the game. There's a lot of people down there, so it's going to be a lot of fun," said Jeff Rouiller, a UCLA fan.
The event was an opportunity to showcase the vibrance of the region to locals and tourists alike.
"I know it's going to be a day that we can all be very proud of as Sacramentans to welcome folks to downtown and to experience all the great culture this region has to offer," said Ford.