The 56th Annual Newport, Rhode Island Saint Patrick's Day Parade will be held, rain, snow, or shine, on Saturday, March 17th 2012. It will begin promptly at 11:00am from Newport City Hall and will proceed to Carroll Avenue at Saint Augustin’s Church in the heart of the Fifth Ward. The parade this year is estimated to last 2 hours and will include 8 Pipe Bands, 9 Marching Bands, 3 Fife & Drum Corps, 3 Clown Units, 8 reenactment units, and a host of local, state, and regional organizations including police and fire units, social/fraternal organizations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Schools, and non-profits. The Newport Saint Patrick's Day Parade is always held on the Saturday preceding March 17th (St. Patrick's Day), unless the 17th is a Saturday in which case it is held on that day.