San Diego will celebrate the green March 15 with the Irish Congress of Southern California’s 23rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Family Festival.

The theme this year is “Unity with Medical Arts & Sciences.” The parade steps off at Fifth Avenue and Juniper Street at 11 a.m. and proceeds up Fifth Avenue across Upas Street and comes back down Sixth to Laurel. It will feature more than 150 entries including marching bands, Irish step dancers, Irish bands and World War II veterans and equestrian units.

Dick Murphy is the executive grand marshal and Michael W. Murphy, CEO of Sharp Healthcare, is the grand marshal. The parade also will feature Dr. Matthew Gleason and Alice Burke Hayes, Irish man and woman of the year.

The free Irish festival in the park will begin at 1 p.m. at Sixth and Laurel and will feature food booths, beer, children’s rides, craft booths, parade T-shirts, souvenir programs, and Irish music, dancing and entertainment. Some of the musical acts featured are Sean McVickers, Tony Cummins and Kitchenfire. The festival will run until 5 p.m.