Once a religious feast day to honor Ireland’s patron saint, Patrick, March 17 is now a day celebrated the world round with festivals, parties and parades in his honor. We’ve rounded up a list of the top 6 cities you should visit to take part in the celebration.
1. Dublin, Ireland
What better place to celebrate a holiday than Ireland itself? St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year to travel to Dublin. The festival in Dublin is actually celebrated as a 4-day festival featuring a parade, beer and whiskey festivals, fun-fairs and free live music. Since St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin is such a bucket-list experience, be sure to plan ahead and book your flights and hotels early.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
Head to Boston to join in the one of the biggest celebrations outside of Ireland. Activities include a huge parade in South Boston, a regular home concert of Boston’s Celtic punk rock group, the Dropkick Murphys, a St. Patrick’s Day 5K road race, and live Irish music and authentic Irish food at any of the city’s many Irish Pubs. For those of you over 21, you can join in one of the city’s many pub crawls or visit Harpoon Brewery’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival.
3. Chicago, Illinois
One of the most famous celebrations in the U.S. is the one in Chicago. The city dyes its river emerald green, a tradition over 60 years old (and don’t worry it’s totally environmentally friendly dye and disappears after a few days). Get even closer to the action and book a St. Patty’s Day cruise on one of Chicago’s many architecture river tours. Besides seeing the green water run, you can also catch a great parade and lots of other festivities in the city.
4. London, United Kingdom
Although St. Patrick’s Day is not a national holiday in England, London celebrates the holiday with events every year, usually on the weekend closest to March 17. Catch the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on its 1.5 mile route past some of London’s most iconic landmarks and then catch free performances and activities at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Trafalgar Square.
5. New York City, New York
New York City boasts the oldest and biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S – this parade actually started before the Declaration of Independence was even signed and is so long that it goes on from 11am until 4:30pm. Visitors to the city can also take a St. Patrick’s Day themed walking tour of lower-Manhattan and learn about the contribution Irish immigrants made to the city, visit the Irish Arts Center’s Irish extravaganza and, of course, grab something to eat at one of the city’s many Irish restaurants.
6. Savannah, Georgia
You can celebrate St. Patty’s Day during the entire month of March in Savannah, Georgia. Head over to River Street and City Market, the two main hubs for all the St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans. These two spots are the best places to celebrate the three-day St. Patrick’s Day Festival with live entertainment, a parade, and activities to partake in, but there will also be interactive artists, photo booths and food and beverage areas.