St. Pat’s festival returning to Five Points in 2022

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St. Pat’s in Five Points will return for its 40th anniversary on March 19, 2022.

The annual festival in the downtown Columbia merchant village did not take place in 2020 and will not be held in 2021 because of COVID-19 precautions. The event, which includes a parade, races, artisan craft and food vendors, and live music draws an average of 45,000 people to the enclave of shops and restaurants.

“The Five Points Association is proud to announce it will host St. Pat’s in Five Points in 2022 after canceling the event the last two years,” Steve Cook, Five Points Association president, said in a news release. “It is exciting and serendipitous that the return of St Pat's falls on the 40th Anniversary of the first festival and serves as a great reminder of the event's unprecedented longevity and rich history of supporting local charities.”

The festival has an estimated $6 million economic impact on the city of Columbia and Richland County, according to the association. Net proceeds benefit Five Points beautification projects as well as promotional campaigns, with the Five Points Association donating an annual average of $40,000 to Midlands charities.