TAMPA, Fla. — If you were looking forward to the City of Tampa's annual River O' Green Fest Saturday, you'll have to wait one more day.
The Tampa Downtown Partnership and the City of Tampa have delayed the event to 11 a.m. Sunday due to weather concerns from an approaching cold front.
"Due to expected rain this Saturday, the 2022 River O' Green Fest will take place Sunday, March 13th instead," the city tweeted.
All the festivities will still take place at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa, event leaders explain in a news release. The long-awaited event will kick off with the Hillsborough River transforming into a bright shade of green.
“We are so excited to bring back this wonderful Tampa tradition,” Tampa Downtown Partnership President and CEO Lynda Remund said in a statement. “We haven’t been able to host our signature event since 2019, so we know people are looking forward to putting on their green garb, pulling out their best Irish accent, and celebrating the holiday in the greatest city!”
The city says the dye going into the river "is safe for the environment, non-toxic, biodegradable, meets all EPA standards and is certified for use by the National Sanitation Foundation Standard 60. In fact, it's the same dye often used in water systems to trace the flow of drinking water, in eye surgeries to trace blood vessels and in food."
When the event's return was announced, Mayor Jane Castor said Tampa is "ready to shamrock and roll."
Attendees can enjoy an Irish-themed celebration complete with live entertainment, food trucks, beer, family-friendly fun.
"It's been way too long since Tampa got its Irish on, so let's get ready to shamrock and roll at River O'Green 2022. One thing we can all a-green on is that this town knows how to paddy," Castor said in a statement.
You can watch the trial run of dyeing the river green here.