BATH — Toss aside those dead-of-winter blues, because March Madness is overtaking the City of Ships next weekend and heralding the approach of spring.
The celebration, which includes an ‘early bird’-style sale and a St. Patrick’s Day parade, will begin on Friday, March 13. On that day, more than a dozen downtown retailers will offer markdowns between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. for the ‘Moonlight Madness’ sale. Many businesses will run a reverse ‘early bird’ sale, increasing discounts as the evening continues, while others will offer a flat discount or offer a bonus to shoppers who can show a restaurant receipt that proves they ate in Bath that evening.
Music will electrify the streets, and the 2009 ‘Banners Over Bath’ event will begin at City Hall with an artist’s reception at 5 p.m. on Friday.
The following day, the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade will start at 11 a.m. and run along Lincoln, Centre and Front streets before concluding downtown. An Irish history lecture will be held that day at Winter Street Center at 10 a.m., and on Sunday the Maine Potato Run/Walk will begin at City Hall at 9 a.m.
Throughout the weekend, free admission to the YMCA will be offered to people wearing green. There will be special prices at the Maine Maritime Museum, youth activities, free trolley rides and shamrock ‘green tag’ sales at participating stores.
Call Joe Byrnes at 443-6776 for more information.