The Irish Congress of Southern California is proud to announce that its 30^th Annual San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade (the largest Parade west of the Mississippi) will step off on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 promptly at 11:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue at Laurel Street as thousands of marchers and spectators gather to celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland.

The Parade travels up Fifth Avenue from Laurel to Upas Street and then returns down Sixth Avenue to Laurel. An event filled Irish Festival will follow in Balboa Park.

There will be over 150 Parade entries including two open top double decker buses! Come and see Bagpipers and High School Marching Bands, Police and Fire Department Units, Floats, Dancing Groups, Marching and Equestrian Units, Clowns, Dignitaries and Honorees, Representatives from Ireland, Antique Cars and more. The Theme of this year’s Parade is “Unity with the Community, with special thanks to our Military and Veterans.”

The Irish Festival in Balboa Park (Sixth Avenue and Maple Street) runs from 10 am to 5 pm and features Entertainment on 2 Stages with Irish Folk singers,  Irish Step Dancers, Irish Crafts, Food Booths, Celtic Village, Beer Garden, and a Kid Zone with rides. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend.

It will be a busy day in Balboa Park with the St. Patrick’s Day and Cherry Blossom Festival!!! Attend one or both cultural events!

The Japanese Friendship Garden is having a Cherry Blossom Festival. It will be held on Saturday, March 13th, 2010. Hours are 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Food, entertainment, arts & crafts, tea ceremony and koto (stringed instrument) demonstrations.

Located in beautiful Balboa Park; 2215 Pan American Road E.

The Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego has created a Japanese-style garden dedicated to the well-being of all people which provides educational programs that encourage understanding of the Japanese heritage among people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

It provides a variety of seminars, classes and workshops as well as accredited horticultural instruction. Seminars for both the amateur and professional gardener are held with faculty that includes internationally prominent masters from Japan and the United States. The seminars provide an educational program of landscape gardening that enable the participants to learn the principles, skills and techniques for implementing a Japanese garden. Students learn at hands on workshops, lectures, demonstrations and discussions. A broad range of classes and workshops representing a variety of arts and crafts as well as Japanese conversation and cuisine are offered for children and adults. Through the San Diego Unified School District / Balboa Park Program, approximately 5,000 fifth grade students from the district learn about the design of the Garden and Japanese culture. Instruction includes the use of chopsticks, kimono wearing, foods and other aspects of Japanese student life. The purpose of the program is to increase understanding of Japanese culture.