Boland
As St. Patrick’s Day 2026 looms on the not-too-distant horizon, Pete Boland is reflecting on Paddy Fest, the all-Irish celebration in Williams Park he began four spring seasons ago.
“We lost a ton of money the first year,” says Boland, the owner/operator of Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern downtown. “Almost 10,000 people showed up, and we lost money. Because I didn’t know what I was doing yet. But there was no doubt we had something there.”
Four years in, Boland and his team know very much what they’re doing. And Paddy Fest (March 13-15) is the city’s premier Irish festival, with a full slate of live entertainment, a pulsating vendor’s market, food trucks and a 7,500 square foot children’s play area.
Yes, there are pints to be had, but Boland never wanted his weekend to be just about beer, green or otherwise.
“This is truly a passion for me,” he says. “I love throwing a good party. I love downtown St. Pete, and I believe in the future and prosperity of the park. And I am an incredibly proud Irish American.”
Paddy Fest also helps fund Ocean Aid 360, which creates community-inclusive design, implementation and monitoring of marine habitat restoration programs. “I love the work that they’re doing,” Boland adds.
Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones perform Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15. Publicity photo.
There’s an emphasis this year on more – and better – authentic Irish entertainment. Performers include the Byrne Brothers (an Irish family band from Donegal now based in Orlando); the South Carolina Celtic band Seven Nations; veteran Irish bandleader Derek Warfield and his Young Wolfe Tones; the Bawdy Boys; St. Pete Irish Dance; City of Dunedin Pipe Band; Suncoast United Pipes and Drums and many more.
“Last year, we’d figured out the sort of program we wanted for the event, but we didn’t have the right entertainment,” says Boland. “I wanted it to be a little step up.”
Boland, a longtime entrepreneur (he also owns The Galley: A St. Pete Tavern) had experience with organizing an executing block parties. “St. Pete deserves a proper St. Patrick’s Day festival,” he remembers thinking. “I think that we can do it. Maybe one day we can get a parade, but this will have to be a key first step.”
Tuesday, March 17 (the actual St. Patrick’s Day) brings a block party to 3rd Street N., in front of Mary Margaret’s, in partnership with the City of St. Petersburg (the street will be temporarily closed).
Boland sees the “Shamrock the Block Party” as a natural extension of Paddy Fest, which is the big shillelagh. “I’d say I have become a festival organizer now,” Boland concludes. “I kind of look at it as a responsibility.
“I’ve just kind of leaned in on trying to become really, really good at this thing. And I’ve learned so much.”
Visit the Paddy Fest website for admission prices, schedules, VIP packages and more.
