Don’t rely on luck: How to survive Tampa’s seven-event Saturday

TAMPA, Fla. - In no time, downtown Tampa will be packed for River O'Green and the St. Patrick's Day parade, but it is not just the holiday taking this city by storm, there will be sports and shows converging for one big weekend.

What we know:

Josh Cascio, the public outreach and communication supervisor for the City of Tampa, wants people to take the traffic this weekend seriously.

"Don't leave your drive to just luck," Cascio said. "We want you to have fun and plan ahead because it will be busy in and around downtown."

RELATED: River O’Green returns to Tampa: Here’s what to know

It is not luck that there are alternatives to driving downtown this weekend.

Tampa has the HART bus service, scooters, the DASH transit service and the TECO streetcar.

"The biggest thing people can do to avoid traffic altogether is to consider using alternative forms of transportation like the free TECO Street Car," Cascio said.

Big picture view:

Tampa has seven events on Saturday.

• Molten FL PreQualifier Volleyball Tournament at the Tampa Convention Center — 8 a.m.
• River O'Green at Curtis Hixon Park — 11 a.m.
• NY Yankees Spring Training at Steinbrenner Field — 1 p.m.
• St Patrick's Parade in downtown Tampa — 2 p.m.
• Straz Shows at 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
• Zach Bryan Concert at Raymond James Stadium — 7 p.m.
• Tampa Bay Lightning Game at Benchmark International Arena — 7 p.m.

"One thing we're doing here in the city of Tampa is ensuring our residents and visitors enjoy the best quality of life possible," Cascio said. "And I think all these events really add to that."

What they're saying:

Nadine Benger lives in Tampa, but has traveled the world. She said this city manages big events the best.

"The cops are there; they've got the detour signs up, they're getting traffic going," Benger said. "It's just a lot easier to follow. But living in other countries or elsewhere, it can be chaos, depending on where you're from. It's this communication."

Still, visitors say big events like the parade and River O'Green are what make Tampa a destination for travelers.

"We're looking forward to the river turning green, actually. That's the most exciting part for us," said Sentareyus Bush, a visitor from Hollandale, Mississippi. "The attractions are what brings us to these travel spots."

Big picture view:

"It keeps the city growing and doing better and wanting to do better," Benger said.

"Every time people are patronizing local businesses, patronizing hotels, the restaurants, the different things we have going on here, that all adds to the economic value of the city," Cascio said.

READ: $362 million Selmon Expressway expansion moving forward in Tampa

The city said if you are questioning what streets to use during this hectic weekend, take a look at your phone's GPS.

Tampa uses a system that allows road closures to be shown on your phone maps nearly instantaneously.