St. Pats is a yearly festival held in Five Points to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. The event has attracted many generations of Columbia residents and USC students to its premises, entertaining them with all-day concerts from national and local bands, parties with attendees clad in all-green clothes, and (let's be honest) a steady supply of alcohol.
While the festival lacks a formal dress code, there is an expectation among partygoers to dress in green. The lack of requirements beyond that gives attendees lots of freedom to channel their St. Patrick’s Day spirit. There are Vogue-worthy green bucket hats, cozy shamrock onesies, Eagles and Celtics jerseys, and gargantuan green overcoats that are better shown than described. One reveler, dressed as a leprechaun, commented that he liked St. Pats because “you get to run around like kind of an idiot, like I’m doing.” Clearly, letting your Irish-themed creativity run wild makes you anything but an idiot at St. Pats.
Much of the excitement around St. Pats is centered on the bands, and this year did not disappoint. Nationally-recognized acts such as Hippo Campus, Moon Taxi, Nate Smith and Drivin N Cryin headlined the festival, playing to packed audiences near the festival’s four stages. Waves were started, crowds were surfed, and the high-energy atmosphere excited both the performers and the spectators.
It would be remiss, however, to not mention one of the festival’s main attractions: drinking. Partiers flocked to Five Points’ bars to participate in this St. Pats tradition. For many of these participants, however, their efforts were well worth it. When asked why he was drinking, a the respondent mentioned it was because he wanted “to meet cool people.” At St. Pats, partying and socializing go hand in hand.
The festival also attracted a younger cohort. The parade to kick off St. Pats was attended by many children and provided a space for them to celebrate the holiday. “My favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day is marching in the parade,” commented one young man. Events like these let attendees of all ages join the celebration.
This year’s St. Pats was another great success. The bands, beverages, clothes, and parade created a fun atmosphere that permeated the entire festival. Fun was had, memories were made, and St. Pats showed why it’s Columbia’s favorite mid-March tradition.
