Party Like The Irish on St Patrick's Day!
If you want to make the most ofo your St. Patric'k’s Day, take a trip to one of the cities where it’s celebrated best- New York and Chicago
The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade took place in 1762 -- not in Ireland, but in New York City, organized by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. Since then, the holiday honoring the patron saint of Ireland has grown in popularity across the United States, as the Irish-American population has grown and as non-Irish Americans have embraced the celebration too.
New York’s annual parade is still the biggest in the world. It runs along Fifth Avenue, from 44th to 79th Street.The 2020 parade will start at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, continuing into the late afternoon. For all the details about the parade, visit https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org.
If you get cold while standing on the parade route check out MurphGuide for an extensive list of pubs that you can duck into for some hot food and festive drinks. If you’d prefer a more subdued experience, especially if you’re traveling with kids, you might like to visit the Tenement Museum, which focuses on the lives of immigrant New Yorkers. The museum offers a unique tour of an apartment where one Irish family, the Moores, lived in the 1860s, providing a realistic glimpse of these immigrants’ lives. Tickets regularly sell out, especially around St. Patrick’s Day, so be sure to reserve them in advance.
If you’re not up for NYC, Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is considered as big, or almost as big, as New York’s. Starting at noon, it takes a scenic route through downtown. Celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2020, the parade and other festivities will take place on Saturday, March 14.
On the morning of the parade, Chicago celebrates with a unique ritual: they dye the Chicago River emerald green. This uniquely colorful celebration starts around 9 a.m. and the green dye lasts for about five hours, so have a big Irish breakfast and then get outside and follow the green!
Many other cities, from Boston to LA to Savannah, Georgia, host parades and other festivities. But for a real authentic St. Patty’s celebration, why not go to the source?
St. Patrick's Day originated in Ireland, where it’s a national public holiday. In fact, the festival of St. Patrick is actually a five-day event in Dublin, featuring hundreds of events including arts, music and cultural performances, tours of the city, traditional food offerings, family fun and more.
On the big day, you’ll want to get to the parade before it starts at 11 a.m. to get a spot with a good view. Or if you don’t want to stand on the route all day, you can reserve covered seats in the grandstands.
Whether you fly off to Ireland or stay closer to home, make sure you pack your green clothes, including cold-weather gear and a raincoat.
What do you think? Is there a better city for St Patrick’s Day?
And as always happy travels!
KJ