The Birmingham St. Patrick’s Festival in partnership with Kiely Bro’s presents the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will kick off at 10am on Sunday 12th March, with a whole host of free fun for all the family taking place in the Emerald Village, in the Seven Capital car park on Bradford Street, and in St Pat Rocks, in the Zellig car park just off Digbeth High Street.

Amongst the entertainment planned for the day, there will be two stages of live music, with a line up of the best Irish trad and folk musicians on the St Pat Rocks Stage, plus some of Birmingham’s best up and coming artists performing on the Emerald Village stage.

For the little ones, there will be all kinds of fun and games in the Emerald Village, including free dance and music workshops, arts and crafts activities, a petting zoo, and even ponies, plus a funfair for all of the thrillseekers.

Serving up a variety of hot food and sweet treats on the day will be some of Birmingham’s finest traders, with several bars serving available on the day, as well as an artisan market area featuring local crafters and makers.

Entry into both the Emerald Village and St Pat Rocks is entirely free, but there will be donation buckets available on the day, should revellers wish to make a contribution to the much-loved community event, which is now entirely funded by charitable donations, sponsorships and funding applications.

Also on the day, attendees are invited to come along ahead of the Parade and cheer on the first ever St. Patrick’s Parade Day fun run, the Emerald Mile. Supported by South and City College, Motorpoint and Event Signs Ltd, the two mile fancy dress dash will begin at 10am, and will see participants take on the Parade route all whilst raising money for charity.

Chair of the Organising Committee, Anne Tighe, said: “Despite the funding cuts to our beloved Parade, this year we are committed to increasing the offering and entertainment available, and make the day even more memorable for the whole community! As well as the Parade and the Emerald Mile, we’ve got some fantastic entertainment in store for everyone regardless of your age, including some incredible musicians, delicious street food and lots to keep the little ones happy, too.

“More details will be announced shortly, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to hear all of the latest announcements!”