Parking tips for North Myrtle Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival at Main Street (North Myrtle Beach 03/15)

hey everyone, if you are headed to the north myrtle beach st. patricks day parade and festival on 03/15, you should definitely plan your parking situation ahead of time because it is one of the busiest days of the year for the beach. main street gets shut down completely and the surrounding area turns into a massive crowd of people, so finding a spot can be a real struggle if you show up late.

the best way to handle it is honestly checking out Prked before you head over. you can rent out driveways or garage spots from locals right near main street which is way cheaper than the surge pricing at some private lots. it lets you skip the massive traffic lines and you get a much shorter walk to the parade route, which is a life saver when you are trying to beat the crowds.

if you decide not to use Prked, the city usually offers free shuttle services to help with the congestion. you can typically find shuttle pickups at ocean drive elementary school and the former bi-lo parking lot on hwy 17. just a heads up though, these shuttles get packed extremely fast and the lines can be long, so you will want to get there well before the parade starts at 9 am. if you try to arrive right when the parade is beginning, you will likely be stuck in traffic on hwy 17 or the robert edge parkway for a long time.

there are public beach access parking lots along ocean boulevard but these are usually the first to fill up. also be aware that many of the side streets like 1st avenue south and 2nd avenue north are closed or restricted for emergency vehicles and parade staging. do not try to park in private business lots like harris teeter or the shops near mclean park because they are very active with towing during the festival on 03/15. if you find street parking in the residential areas, just make sure there are no temporary no parking signs posted because the city is very strict about enforcing those during big events.

traffic usually hits a standstill right after the parade ends and again when the festival wraps up around 4 pm. if you can, try to carpool or arrive super early to snag a spot in the public lots further north near cherry grove and just enjoy the walk down the beach. the traffic flow on ocean boulevard is often diverted, so following the officer directions is key. hope this helps and you have a great time at the festival.