You'll Be Shamrockin' Around Town at These St. Patrick's Day Parades
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Sure and begorrah, whether or not your ancestors hail from the old sod, there's a lot to love about the day that commemorates Ireland's patron saint. And that starts with St. Patrick's Day parades. Sure, there's also all that delish Irish food to scarf down, and all those delish Irish beers, green or not, to quaff. (And, let's be honest, quaff some more.) There are even plenty of Irish songs to sing and loads of Irish movies to watch, too.
But for rousing, raucous fun on March 17 (or thereabouts), it's darn hard to top a Paddy's Day parade. Especially here in the United States, where the very first parade anywhere to honor St. Patrick was held in St. Augustine, Florida, way back in 1601. Yep, it's true. Emerald Isle inhabitants didn't initiate St. Patrick's Day parades. In fact, they didn't even join in the fun until Waterford held Ireland's first in 1903.
With more than four centuries of practice, it's no wonder we Americans know how to throw what are basically green-tinted mobile parties. And so every mid-March, in cities across the country, step dancers, bagpipers and grown men dressed as leprechauns scamper along downtown streets to the delight of thousands of jubilant onlookers. It's all a lot of fun no matter where you happen to be, but there are a handful of communities that celebrate with a certain panache others can't quite match.
So why not pour yourself a nice whiskey or mix up a batch of Ree Drummond's famous Irish coffee and read on for our list of the best St. Patrick's Day parades? After all, any one of them would make a fine destination on the big day.
Chicago
With a reputed 200,000 Irish-Americans living in The Windy City, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Chicago serves up a heck of a St. Patrick's Day parade. First held way back in 1843, nowadays the event, which will kick off on Saturday the 11th at 12:30 p.m., is said to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators, making it one of the largest such proceedings in the world. Look for The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band to lead the three-hour procession, as they have since 1956, to be followed by floats, marching bands and much more. To snag a good spot along the parade route, which will stretch down Columbus Drive between Balbo Drive and Monroe Drive, plan to arrive at least a couple of hours early.
In fact, you might want to begin the morning by watching the Chicago River dyeing, a beloved St. Pat's tradition in Chicago since 1962. The eco-friendly (honestly!) event, so magical it might as well be a pot o' gold at the end of a rainbow, is offered by the local plumbers union, who will begin adding the dye to the river at 10 a.m. The Riverwalk and the bridges between State and Columbus offer great vantage points, but if you want to get an even better look at that brilliant green water hop aboard one of the cruises offered by outfits like Chicago's First Lady and Wendella. Many feature live music and Irish-themed food and drink in addition to some stellar views.
If you're making a weekend out of your Chicago visit (and you really should!), you have two more parades to choose from on Sunday the 12th, which both begin at noon. The homegrown South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade, still going strong since two best buddies started it in 1979, will take over Western Avenue between 103rd and 115th Streets in Beverly and Morgan Park. Meanwhile, the Northwest Side Irish Parade, founded two decades ago this year, will kick off at William J. Onahan School before running down Neola Avenue and up Northwest Highway.
Boston
Chicago may have more total Irish Americans, but Beantown has more per capita—over 20 percent of Boston's population claim family origins in the Emerald Isle. But that isn't the only reason the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade is the stuff of legend. The procession is actually sort of a two-for-one deal, as it also celebrates Evacuation Day, or March 17, 1776, when liberty-loving Bostonians threw British troops out of the city. The parade is thus an unusual blend of marching military units and Minutemen reenactors along with the more typical green-bedecked entries, all appearing to the noisy delight of upwards of a million onlookers.
The history of Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade can be traced back to 1737, when Irish residents held the first big festivities in the city honoring the saint. This year's edition, the first in two years due to the pandemic, will take place Sunday, March 19th, beginning at 1 p.m. While it was originally to take an abbreviated route, the parade has since been extended and will begin at the Broadway T Station, ending at Andrew Square. Nonetheless, with crowds typically standing a dozen deep, attendees should definitely consider arriving early.
If you're feeling a bit parched before, during, or after the parade, there are a wealth of great pubs in Southie. The area where Irish immigrants first settled in Boston, it's still home to a vibrant Irish-American community. But South Boston isn't the only place to find good craic in the city Paddy's Day weekend. For rowdy fun, take in an epic concert from homegrown Celtic punk band the Dropkick Murphys, who will be playing Fenway's new MGM Music Hall on the 17th and 18th, and House of Blues on the 19th. Or, learn the fascinating true tales of Boston's Irish immigrants and their descendants with a self-guided tour along the 20-site Irish Heritage Trail.
New York City
Dating back to 1762, The New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade is showstopper—but would you expect anything less from the city that never sleeps? Some 150,000 folks march in the spectacle, with as many as two million people watching from the sidewalks. Plan for the parade to begin on 5th Avenue at 44th Street at 11 a.m. on the button March 17th, and end at around 4:30 p.m. on 5th Avenue uptown at 79th Street. If you want to be anywhere near the front of the crowd, get there as early as you can. Better yet, snare coveted grandstand seats by sending a letter requesting tickets with a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to the parade office by March 1. It's first-come-first-served, so you better get cracking.
Whether or not your ancestors hail from the Emerald Isle, there's a lot to love about the day that commemorates Ireland's patron saint. And that starts with the country's biggest St. Patrick's Day parades. Sure, there's also all that delicious traditional Irish food to scarf down, and all those Irish beers (green or not!). There are even plenty of Irish songs to sing and loads of Irish movies to watch, too. But for rousing, family-friendly fun on March 17 (or thereabouts), it's darn hard to top a St. Paddy's Day parade.
The very first parade anywhere to honor the history of St. Patrick was held in St. Augustine, Florida, way back in 1601. It's true, Ireland's inhabitants didn't initiate St. Patrick's Day parades! In fact, they didn't even join in the fun until Waterford held Ireland's first parade in 1903. With more than four centuries of practice, it's no wonder we Americans know how to throw what are basically green-tinted mobile parties. And so every mid-March, in cities across the country, step dancers, bagpipers and grown men dressed as leprechauns scamper along downtown streets to the delight of thousands of jubilant onlookers.
It's all a lot of fun no matter where you happen to be, but there are a handful of communities that celebrate with a certain panache others can't quite match. These are the ten most popular, biggest, and best St. Patrick's Day parades in the country.
Chicago, Illinois
With a reputed 200,000 Irish-Americans living in The Windy City, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Chicago serves up a heck of a St. Patrick's Day parade. First held way back in 1843, nowadays the event, which will kick off on Saturday, March 16 at 12:15 p.m., is said to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators. Look for The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band to lead the three-hour procession, as they have since 1956, to be followed by floats, marching bands, and more. To snag a good spot along the parade route, which will stretch down Columbus Drive between Balbo Drive and Monroe Drive, plan to arrive at least a couple of hours early. In fact, you might want to begin the day by watching the Chicago River dyeing, a beloved St. Pat's tradition in Chicago since 1962.
New York, New York
Dating back to 1762, The New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade is a showstopper—but would you expect anything less from the city that never sleeps? Some 150,000 folks march in the spectacle, with as many as two million people watching from the sidewalks. Plan for the parade to begin on 5th Avenue at East 44th Street at 11 a.m. on March 16, and end at around 4:30 p.m. on 5th Avenue uptown at East 79th Street. If you want a coveted grandstand seat, you can request tickets from the parade office by March 1. It's first-come-first-served, so you better get cracking. Of course, the Big Apple is dishing out plenty of other shamrocking special events Paddy's Day weekend including cruises, bar crawls, and more.
Boston, Massachusetts
Did you know that 20 percent of Boston's population claim family origins in the Emerald Isle? But that isn't the only reason the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade is the stuff of legend. The procession is a two-for-one deal, as it also celebrates Evacuation Day, or March 17, 1776, when liberty-loving Bostonians threw British troops out of the city. The parade is thus an unusual blend of marching military units along with the more typical green-bedecked entries. The history of Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade can be traced back to 1737, and this year's edition will take place Sunday, March 17, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Broadway T station and traveling 3.5 miles to Andrew Square.
Denver, Colorado
Unlike many cities located east, Denver isn't known for having an especially large Irish population. But that doesn't stop the Mile High City from putting on a monumental four-hour St. Paddy's parade that draws a crowd of as many as 300,000 people out to cheer it on. Taking inspiration from the first parade held back in 1889, the Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade will get underway on March 16 at 9:30 a.m. The route begins at Wynkoop at 19th Street, turning down 17th Street in front of the celebrated Denver Union Station before heading down Blake Street and eventually wrapping up on 27th Street. According to organizers, the best place for families to watch is on Blake Street between 23rd and 27th avenues. The most crowded area is south of 20th avenue on Blake Street, where the dancers, bands, etc. stop and give full performances.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Get ready to patty hard in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday, March 10, when one of the country's oldest St. Patrick's Day parades returns. For more than 250 years, Philly has been presenting the epic cavalcade that these days includes more than 20,000 participants, including 200 groups. If you'd like to start the day off in a thoughtful manner, a mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church, at 20th and Locust Streets, beginning at 9 a.m. The Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade, which will kick off at 16th and JFK, will follow at 11 a.m. and is expected to last about three hours ending at 5th and Market Street. Speaking of thoughtful, this year's parade theme is "St. Patrick, Bless Philadelphia with a New Dawn of Hope."
Savannah, Georgia
Apparently, this Georgia city once dyed its river green in 1961 with such underwhelming results that it never tried the effect again. Instead, Savannah makes an annual party of coloring its gorgeous fountains. On March 8, at noon this year, the Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal will pour green dye into the water of the famed Forsyth Park fountain, kicking off the holiday's festivities in the city. Then, on the 16th, the Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade will set off at 10:15 a.m. to celebrate the 200th annual procession, beginning just east of Forsyth Park, at Gwinnett and Abercorn streets, winding its way through downtown before finally finishing up at Madison Square on Harris Street. What started as more of a military parade has grown to include more than 280 marching units and 15,000 people participating, with upwards of a half-million spectators.
Detroit, Michigan
It's a safe bet you're going to have to bundle up if you're one of the 100,000 people attending the Detroit St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 10. Held in Corktown, the heart of the city's Irish community, the parade will kick off at Irish Plaza at 6th Street and Michigan Avenue and continue down Michigan to 14th Street. Corktown, so named because most of its residents came from County Cork, Ireland, was established in 1834, making it Detroit's oldest surviving neighborhood. The parade itself traces its modern incarnation back to 1958. It begins with a mass at 10:30 a.m. this year at Most Holy Trinity Church in Corktown, before the promenade begins at 12:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A whopping one-fifth of inhabitants in the Steel City consider themselves Irish and are proud to prove it at the annual Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade, which will get underway this year on March 16 at 10 a.m. Expect as many as 350,000 merrymakers to line the streets to see the parade's more than 200 marching units, floats, and bands make their way through downtown. The 1.4-mile route will begin at Liberty Avenue and 11th Street, continue on Grant Street, and then Boulevard of the Allies, eventually ending at Commonwealth Place. The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittsburgh dates back to 1869. Traditionally, parade day begins with a mass held at Old St. Patrick’s Church in the Strip District, while thousands take to South Side and North Shore gathering spots following the conclusion of the 3.5-hour event.
San Francisco, California
Said to be California's largest such event, the 173rd edition of the San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day Parade is scheduled to start on Saturday, March 16 at 11:30 a.m. The parade starts at the corner of Second and Market and wrapped things up at Civic Center Plaza around two hours later. Attendance usually peaks at around 100,000 (a tenth of the Bay Area's total Irish American population), with more than 100 floats, marching bands, dance troupes, and more delighting the crowds. But the fun doesn't stop there. San Francisco typically plays host to a festival at the end of the parade route, with bands, Irish food and drink, and a kids' area offering pint-sized rides and games until 6 p.m.
New Orleans, Louisiana
If there's one city in the United States that loves a parade, it's New Orleans. The Big Easy offers essentially three straight weeks of parades in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Can't take a month off to celebrate the holiday NOLA style? Definitely head there on Saturday, March 16 for the celebrated Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Parade. Named for the neighborhood's historically heavy concentrations of immigrants from Ireland, the Irish Channel festivities begin at 1 p.m. at Magazine and Felicity streets, take a loop through the neighborhood, and end at Jackson and Annunciation. Be sure to wear green and watch out for not only flying green beads but also cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and onions. The parade marchers love to hurl the ingredients for Irish stew!
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