March is a great time to visit Savannah. If you’re seeking the raucous revelry of St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll find plenty as the town celebrates its 201st St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The famous event, set for March 17, gathers up to a half-million people each year and features bands, traditional Irish dancing, Clydesdales, floats, green beer, and much more.
Irish settlers first came to Savannah in the 1730s and continued in waves, leading to the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1824. Though the influx has waned, later generations have held onto Irish traditions. Now, despite only having around 150,000 residents, the city puts on the second-largest St. Pat’s parade in the United States, behind only New York City.
From a special ceremony where the famous Forsyth Fountain goes green (March 8) to the Sgt. William Jasper Parade and Ceremony in Madison Square (March 15), there are numerous opportunities to celebrate Savannah’s extensive Irish heritage. And after the parade, the fun continues at the area’s numerous Irish pubs.
A Peaceful Savannah Retreat
If you are looking for a calmer experience in Savannah, you can avoid the fray and immerse yourself in the city’s history, culture, and natural beauty—this spring or most any time of year.
Cohen’s Retreat is just six miles from the downtown Savannah riverfront, so it’s a short shuttle ride or Uber to downtown attractions like Historic River Street, City Market, and Forsyth Park. Shrouded by oaks and flanked by Bacon Park and Savannah Botanical Gardens, Cohen’s Retreat feels like a different world. Tempted by ten cottages, a popular restaurant, an art-filled gift shop, and plenty of exploring options, you might prefer to spend most of your time in this quiet area south of downtown known as the Moon River District.
The property got its start in 1934, when Percival Randolph Cohen made a financial gift to create a nursing home, popularly known as “Cohen’s Old Man’s Retreat.” It continued as a nursing home through the 1980s. Colleen Smith, known as “Co,” visited the home as a child, volunteering with clubs and singing in school choirs, and she had fond memories of its shady walkways and stately columns.
Eventually, she purchased the property, refurbishing it and giving it a new life as a destination for art, food, lodging, and community.
The main building includes a finely appointed lobby, restaurant, shop, and gathering spaces, while the ten cottages scattered around the property offer privacy and the comforts of home, including updated kitchenettes, local art, separate living areas, and front porches with seating.
The restaurant has earned a following among locals who gather there for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Classic Lowcountry fare from Chef David Landrigan is the order of the day: shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and hot pepper bacon jam. The menu changes with the seasons, but if Southern tomato pie is available, it’s a must.
Separate from the main building, the popular Pickup Porch offers meals that guests can take back to their cottage or enjoy in a unique outdoor space outfitted with picnic tables created from old trucks.
Cohen’s Retreat is just off the Truman Bike Trail, a six-mile public trail that stretches from Daffin Park to Lake Mayer Park, and local groups have planted thousands of camellias along the trail and the lake. Lake Mayer has a 1.5-mile route popular with walkers and runners, plus a fishing pier, boat ramp, and tennis courts.
Whether you are seeking history, scenery, festivity, or a blend of all three, Savannah delivers on its reputation as America’s “Hostess City of the South.”
Raise a Glass
Cohen’s Retreat creates an Irish Limeade cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day featuring Roe & Co. Irish whiskey. Naturally green ingredients, including lime and mint, give it a bold green hue without the food coloring—plus a satisfying balance of sweet and sour.
Plan Ahead: Holiday Pop-Up Party
This growing event now has more than 80 local and regional artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs spread out indoors and throughout the Retreat. Live music under the sprawling oaks, food trucks, kids’ activities, and drink specials round out a holiday event anticipated by locals and visitors.
Savannah Nature Trails
Less than three miles from Cohen’s Retreat is one of Savannah’s most stunning and educational gems, Wormsloe State Historic Site. There are seven miles of nature trails, but the iconic avenue of 400 live oaks draped in Spanish moss is a must-stroll for a true taste of old Savannah. Walk the 1.5 miles, or take a shuttle; at the end, you’ll find the remains of a fortified tabby house built by Noble Jones in 1745, the oldest standing structure in Savannah. gastateparks.org/wormsloe
5715 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, GA, cohensretreat.com:
