Knoxville residents have multiple opportunities to get in touch with their Irish roots this weekend as downtown hosts two festivals, two road runs and a parade.
Festival-related no-parking zones go into effect at 1 p.m. Friday and continue through 10 p.m. Saturday on Market Street between Union and Clinch avenues and Union Avenue between Walnut and Gay streets. These roads will be closed to traffic Friday 3 - 10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Additional closures are listed below.
Parking in City-owned garages is free after 6 p.m. weeknights and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Construction on State Street Garage continues to limit available parking spaces there, however spaces are available in the nearby Dwight Kessel, City County Building, Main Street and Locust Street garages.
For more information, visit
www.downtownknoxville.org/events.
Knox Shamrock Fest benefiting the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation
Friday, March 15, 3 - 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Market Square
Cel-O’braghtion
Friday, March 15, 6 - 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 16: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Krutch Park Extension
Lucky Kidney Run benefiting the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation
Saturday March 16, 10 a.m.
Market Square
The north end of Market Square and Wall Avenue will serve as the staging area for the Lucky Kidney Run. Wall Avenue will close to on-street parking at 8 a.m. and remain closed to traffic until 11:30 a.m.
Knoxville Police officers will maintain rolling road closures along the race route: East on Wall Avenue, left on Gay Street, right on Jackson Avenue, left on Morgan Street, left at E. Depot Avenue, right at Gay Street, right at Emory Place, right at N. Central Street, left on 4th Avenue, left on Luttrell Street, U-turn back through route to Wall Avenue.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 16, 1 p.m.
Street parking along the parade route closes at 10:45 a.m. The parade steps off at 12:55 p.m. from Howard Baker Jr. Blvd, across from the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.
Eastbound lanes of Howard Baker Jr. Blvd between Hall of Fame and Hill Avenue will be closed from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The following blocks along the parade route will be closed from 12:45 - 2 p.m.: E. Church Avenue to Gay Street; Gay Street between Cumberland and Depot avenues; Gay Street to Jackson Avenue between Gay and Patton streets.
Barley’s St. Patrick’s Day 5K
Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.
200 E. Jackson Ave.
Drivers should expect rolling closures along the route beginning at 2 p.m. with temporary traffic stops at cross streets.
Runners start at Barley's and head east on Jackson Avenue for three blocks, then right onto South Kentucky Street, right on Willow Avenue, right on Central Street, left on Jackson Avenue, right on Gay Street, right on Emory Place, cross North Central Street onto East Fourth Avenue, follow Fourth to Third Avenue, and turn left on Third, left on Lamar Street, right on Fourth, cross back over North Central to Emory Place, left on North Gay Street, left on Jackson Avenue, and end at Barley's.