Saint Patrick, the man, is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in the 4th century and converted half of the country to Christianity during his lifetime. For centuries, the holiday was a solemn religious day spent at home with families. Thanks to Irish immigrants to the U.S. in the last 200 years, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a secular event celebrating all things Irish. As the saying goes, “everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day”. The first parade was held in New York City by Irish soldiers fighting for the British in the Revolutionary War. Later, during the 19th century, parades turned into a show of unity and their burgeoning political power in the face of anti-Irish sentiment in the U.S. Now, it’s just a big old party filled with shamrocks, leprechauns, and everything green—plus, everyone is invited. Here are the best St. Patrick’s Day parades in America.
Chicago
The Second City has three parades to attend on St. Paddy’s Day. Since 1962, the city has dyed the Chicago River green to honor the day. The best place to watch them dye it is at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The downtown parade is the biggest parade and good to take the family. If you’re looking to get rowdy and have a booze fest then head to the south side parade. You won’t be disappointed.
Boston
No surprise here that Boston has an awesome parade. With such a huge Irish population in the city, they’re obligated to have a blowout on this day. The South Boston Parade starts in Southie and is complete with ornate floats, music, and traditional Irish dancing.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
This tongue in cheek celebration has the honor of being the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade. It travels only 98 ft. on Bridge Street. Even though the parade is short, the celebration lasts all day. It’s become quite popular among celebs, with past Grand Marshalls being Joey Fatone, Kevin Bacon, and Ralph Macchio.
New York City
New York City is home to the first and longest-running parade in the U.S. Established in 1848, the parade is one of the most popular in the country, with more than 2 million attendees. There are over 150,000 performers in the parade, also making it the largest in the country.
Savannah, Georgia
Another odd entry for the best parade, but Savannah had a large Irish population when their first parade was held in 1813. It remains one of the largest in the country to this day. It has all the trappings of a parade held in Boston or NYC, and they even dye the Forsyth Park fountain green to mark the occasion.
Quad Cities, Illinois & Iowa
Two cities in Illinois and two in Iowa that are separated by the Mississippi River make up the Quad Cities. The parade starts in Rock Island, IL, and ends in Davenport, IA, with the procession crossing the river on the Centennial Bridge, making it the only parade to cover two states.
If you’re planning on throwing your own St. Patrick’s Day party to go along with these parades, you’ve got to get some festive decorations to go along with it. When it comes to this holiday, it’s all about having fun—whichever way you decide to celebrate, make sure you do it big.
