2012 Roanoke Virginia St. Patrick's Day Celebration....Please see the event website for all the details: Southwest Virginia's premiere St. Patrick's Day events, the Roanoke St. Patrick's Day Celebration is now in its 23rd year and continues to grow. As luck would have it in 2012 celebration falls on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17, 2012. That day the festivities run from 10am until 5pm, with everyone's favorite parade, the McDonald's St. Pat's Parade starting at 11:00am. The Celtic Festival and the parade take place right in heart of downtown Roanoke, VA. Together it's one of the largest St. Pat's Celebrations in the entire mid-Atlantic region. Each year over 2,500 marchers plus over 10,000 spectators from across the entire region are expected. One reason for the success of this parade and festival is the family-friendly nature of the entire Celebration.