IT'S FREE AND LEGAL for adults of legal drinking age to walk around most of downtown Savannah with one of our famous to-go cups in hand.
Except during the official St. Patrick's Day Festival, that is.
In an effort to recoup the costs of entertainment at the multi-day affair —and cleaning up the huge mess afterward—the Savannah Waterfront Association hit on the idea a few years back to charge folks $5 a day for the usually free privilege.
However, you do not need a wristband to drink inside an establishment.
Confused yet?
While there is a nearly $70 fine for noncompliance, the truth is local police have their hands full with more important stuff during this celebration.
In years past local cops have not gone out of their way to crack down on enforcing the use of wristbands.
Making enforcement even less likely is the fact that there's a loophole big enough to drive a parade float through:
You don't need a wristband to hold a to-go cup right outside the entrance to a bar or restaurant if you're just standing outside to take a smoke!
Anyway, to buy a wristband—and yes it's five bucks per day, not the whole festival period—there are over two dozen spots around the festival area where you can purchase them, as seen in the map below, which also shows the various musical stages active during the four-day celebration. cs