The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held Friday in downtown St. Paul starting at noon at Rice Park and proceeding down Fifth Street to Mears Park.After the parade, the St. Patrick’s Association Inc. is holding an event — the 2023 Ballpark Hooley — at nearby CHS Field. At 1 p.m. there will be live music by The Serfs and Northerly Gales, Irish dancers, as well as the CHS Field concourse beer specials and food. Proceeds from ticket sales go toward paying for future St. Patrick’s Day parades and area charities.

General admission for the Ballpark Hooley is $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Children under 5 can attend for free. There also will be a VIP luncheon for $50, which includes general admission, an Irish buffet lunch, and cash bar with St. Paul’s Irish Royalty at CHS Field’s heated Securian Financial Club. For more information go to: www.stpatsmn.org.

Meanwhile, Molson Coors is offering free rides on St. Patrick’s Day on Metro Transit beginning at 6 p.m. Friday through the end of scheduled service. The Miller Lite Free Rides program has provided more than 1.6 million rides on Metro Transit since its inception in 1997.

Riders need no coupon to print out. They can simply hop on a bus or light rail, but they should keep in mind that the Blue Line and Green Line roll to a stop around 11:30 p.m. Visit MetroTransit.org for schedules. The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, which services the southern suburbs, is also participating.

For those hesitant to give public transit a go, keep in mind that both Minneapolis and St. Paul have instituted one-sided parking bans, and fresh snow is expected Thursday into Friday, raising the uncertain possibility of new snow emergencies.

Friday’s high temperature will be around 22, with blustery conditions.