The purpose of this page is to provide participants of the Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade with important details on where and when to assemble for the parade, as well as other key pieces of information all participants need to know.

Where & When

1. The Parade Assembly Area is in the area of St George Street bounded by Bloor Street to the north and College Street to the south. (see map below)
2. Parade Entries are arranged in major groups identified as A through H. Each entry is assigned an entry number which determines your position in the Parade. Know your entry number so that Marshals can direct you to your position in the Assembly Area.
3. The Assembly Area will be open from 8:30am. Parade Marshals will be monitoring the area and are there to help you. Marshals will be wearing orange safety vests with identifying buttons and travelling in golf carts.
4. All floats and large vehicles that will be in the procession are to be in place by 10:00am. Please refer to the Assembly Area map for access points for your section.
5. All bands, marchers and other parade entries are to be in place by 10:30am.
6. Portable toilet facilities will be set up along St. George Street for your convenience. If you are in need of refreshments, we recommend visiting one of the local establishments up on Bloor Street.
7. The Parade starts at 12:00 noon sharp! This is very important as it is a requirement under our city and police permits. If you are not ready, move out of the way!
8. The Parade begins at Bloor Street and St George, travels east along Bloor to Yonge Street, down Yonge Street to Queen Street, west on Queen Street to University and disperses on Armoury Street just behind Nathan Philips Square.

Along The Route

1. The Parade is about 2 miles long and will take about 1-1/2 hours to pass any given point.
2. All entries must maintain a proper distance between themselves and other entries. A distance of 25 to 30 feet is desirable to ensure signs are clearly seen by spectators and the media.
3. If your entry has flags, please be aware of the protocol when passing the review stand. All flags, with the exception of the Canadian flag, must be dipped slightly when passing the review stand.
4. Revellers along the route may get carried away and join your entry without invitation. We suggest politely asking your new “friends” to return to the curb. If you are having any problems, please get a Parade Marshal involved.

At The End

1. The Parade is technically over when it reaches the intersection of Queen Street West and University Avenue. However, all entries are required to go north on University Avenue to Armoury Street where dispersal will occur. DO NOT DISPERSE ON UNIVERSITY AS IT IS OPEN TO TRAFFIC.
2. Parade Marshals will be on Armoury Street to help with dispersal.
3. If you have any materials that are the property of the St. Patrick’s Parade Society, please make sure they are given to a Parade Marshal.
4. Parade participants and their immediate families are invited to the Post Parade Reception for the Community Awards Ceremony. Coffee and hot chocolate will be served and there will be a cash bar available. This year’s Post Parade Reception will be held at the Arcadian Court in the Simpson Tower at 401 Bay Street (8th floor).

Important Do’s & Don’ts

1. Alcohol is not permitted at any time during the Parade. This includes the Assembly Area.
2. If you are giving items to spectators along the Parade route, do not toss them into the crowd. For safety reasons, any materials must be handed to spectators at the curb.
3. There is no parking available at the Assembly Area, except for vehicles actually in the Parade. Any non-parade vehicles will be towed immediately. We recommend using the TTC and exiting at St George Station on the Bloor Line.
4. PARADE MARSHAL INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED. Any person or persons deemed to be in violation of suitable standards of dress, conduct or unapproved signage can be removed from the Parade.
5. Dress warm…. it is March after all and the breezes on Yonge and Queen can be a tad “nippy”.