Does drinking green beer make your pee green, too? Find out this weekend.

It’s that time of year again, when the City of Tampa dyes part of the Hillsborough River green (the city and dye company says it’s safe for the environment, humans and animals—anglers and environmentalists are less excited about the message it sends about the treatment of nature).

Born in 2012 from the mind of former Mayor Bob Buckhorn (who’s rumored to be eyeing a run for the same office in 2027), River O’Green at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park includes live music and performances on two stages from dance troupes, bands, and poets. The Rough Riders’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade follows.

Across the Bay, downtown St. Petersburg has its own (albeit ticketed) St. Paddy’s Day getdown on Saturday, happening at Williams Park. Leprechaun wrestling is part of the agenda at Paddy Fest along with bounce houses for the kids, bagpipers and more.

There’s no cover for River O’Green and the Rough Riders’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade happening in Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Saturday, March 15.

Tickets to St. Petersburg’s Paddy Fest happening Saturday, March 15 at Williams Park are still available for $10.

Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

This article appears in Mar 6-12, 2025.