Savannah Skips Famed St. Patrick’s Parade, But Party Goes On

Pulling the plug on the South’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t stop the party in Savannah, where gaudy green tourists kept bars, restaurants and hotels busy for days and had police handing out thousands of masks amid fears the revelry could brew a coronavirus outbreak.

Tourism officials and business owners said the Irish holiday Wednesday and the weekend preceding it were the busiest they’ve seen since the pandemic began a year ago. They credited visitors weary of the virus and given hope by rising vaccinations.

“The ‘rona might not be done with us, but there are a lot of people who are done with the ’rona,” said Jessica Walden, co-owner of the bar Bay Street Blues near Savannah’s riverfront. “They’re ready to move on and live their lives and be vaccinated.”