2026 Greening of the Fountain brings hundreds together to celebrate the season of St. Patrick

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - This year’s Greening of the Fountain brought hundreds of people, a new emcee, and a colorful midday in Forsyth Park.

Something everyone was talking about Friday: St Patrick’s Day fever! This is where it all begins, this is what the parade committee considers as their kickoff to the holiday season in Savannah, and it brought in hundreds of people from all over.

They don’t just celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, they celebrate the season.

And that involves more than just parade committee members like general chairman Patrick Beytagh and chaplain Patrick O’Brien.

It involves a much younger audience.

“What a great event to kick it off, especially celebrating all the young people and like father said, they will be the next ones, the next generation coming up to participate in all this and see it through,” said Patrick Beytagh, Parade Committee General Chairman.

The event has grown from just a couple of people. Two spectators this year are native to Ireland, and Savannah St Patrick’s parade regulars. Bridget O’Donoghue talked to me about how she’s amazed that coverage for the holiday is much more than just one day.

“I sent it to Ireland to say ‘this station calls it St Patrick’s Month, it’s a day in Ireland, maybe a long weekend, but nothing like what happens here it’s incredible,” said Bridget O’Donoghue.

They first heard of the parade while stopping through the city, and didn’t believe it when they found out the size of the parade

“What was your initial reaction,” we asked.

“Shock, this can’t be right, there’s no way,” said Bridget.

Now, Tom’s still surprised by the community’s enthusiasm with the parade still over a week away

“It shows the enthusiasm of the people to come out on a Friday like this,” said Tom O’Donoghue.

The event’s growth was sparked by WTOC’s Craig Harney, who knew about turning the fountain green, and had an idea to put it on tv.

Now, it’s the moment where the first event of the St. Patrick’s to-do list, gets an extra-green check mark.

The next event on the docket for the parade committee comes this weekend with the Celtic Cross Ceremony on Sunday.