Tampa will once again dye the Hillsborough River green in March for the 14th annual River O’Green festival.
The event at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park happens Saturday, March 14, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and includes live entertainment from Irish songwriter Shane Beirne, plus a pet costume contest.
New to Tampa’s annual St. Patrick’s Day weekend tradition is the Wee Lads Shamrock Shoppes, a kids market with products from kid-run businesses local to the area, according to a press release.
The Tampa Rough Riders’ Irish Color Guard will also kick off the event for the first time, and Downtown Crawlers is hosting a new dedicated VIP bar experience with premium venue seating.
Organizers also shared the schedule for Tampa’s Downtown River O’Green.
10:55 a.m. Irish Color Guard
11 a.m Festival & River Coloring Begins
11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Paddy O’Furniture Music Performance
12:15 p.m. Finnegan Irish Dance Academy Dance Performance
12:45-1:45 p.m. Irish Buskers Music Performance
2 p.m. Finnegan Irish Dance Academy Dance Performance & Parade Begins
2:30 p.m. Pet Costume Contest Sponsored by The Barrymore Hotel
3-4 p.m. Shane Beirne
4 p.m. Festival Concludes
The Tampa Downtown Partnership provides a free on-site bike valet.
To accommodate for crowds and safety, Tampa police will also close the following roads and waterways. Road closures should be lifted around 7 p.m.
Ashley Drive Closes at 11 a.m.
Gasparilla Plaza Changes direction at 11 a.m., but does not close until 1 p.m.
Cass Street at Ashley Drive Closes at 1 p.m.
The Hillsborough River (between Cass Street and Kennedy Boulevard) closes from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Parking for Tampa’s Downtown River O’Green is available in two paid parking garages
Fort Brooke Garage 107 N Franklin St., Tampa
Twiggs Garage 901 E Twiggs St., Tampa
Guests can also park in Ybor City & take the free TECO Streetcar to Whiting Station and walk half-a-mile to Curtis Hixon.
There’s no cover for Tampa’s Downtown River O’Green happening Saturday, March 14.
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This article appears in Feb. 26 – Mar. 04, 2026.