If you are looking for a fun place to spend St. Patrick’s Day you won’t have to look too far. There are several cities that really go out all when it comes to celebrating this holiday. From parades, exhibits, food festivals and even fireworks, you can find a celebration that will be fun for all. Best of all these cities are located all the way across the United States, which means that there is a good chance that at least of one of them is located by you. So before you plan your next St. Paddy’s Day, check out the best places to celebrate.
1. New York City-The Big Apple has been welcoming the holiday with an extra large parade since 1762. Parade organizers expect the number of spectators to top over 1 million people this year. Many people say that there is no better place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day then New York City. It’s best to expect very large crowds, however, since there is going to be at least 155,000 marchers just in the parade. However, you will experience the ambience of St. Patty’s Day with the sound of bagpipes and green beer literally everywhere. Avid celebrants will get there early to make the trip to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After the parade is over expect the crowds to gather in the many Irish pubs that are located around the city.
2. St. Louis, Missouri-This mid-west city goes all out when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. To begin the festivities, there is a five mile run on the 14th of March. This city also brings it on with an enormous parade downtown in the city. The parade features lots of decked out floats, Irish dancers and large character balloons. The night of the 17th expect to find lots of people at the many pubs around the city.
3. Savannah, Georgia-You may be surprised to learn that this traditional Southern city goes all out for St. Pat’s Day too. In fact they have one of the longest traditions of celebrating this holiday with their parade that began in 1825. While the festivities started out rather small, today Savannah’s green party draws over 400,000 people just to watch the parade. The city also has a rather unique tradition with dyeing the many city fountains green. Many people, both residents and non-residents of the city, enjoy seeing the green fountains, as St. Patrick’s Day gets closer.
4. San Francisco, California-The “City by the Bay” hosts a St. Patrick’s Day party that is both big and rich in history. San Francisco’s parade is referred to as one of the most fashionable parades and it follows the iconic trolley tracks throughout the city. Since San Francisco is a town known for its restaurants, there are many places that offer food for the holiday. From upscale remixes of traditional Irish food, to authentic Irish pub food, this party makes sure that no one leaves hungry. The nightlife of San Francisco doesn’t disappoint either as crowds gather at the many Irish pubs throughout the city, to keep the party going.
5. Dublin, Ohio-While this city shares it’s name with nine other U.S. cities, as well as the most famous one in Ireland, it stands out for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The parade that runs for several miles, features lovely floats, lots of bands and of course dancing leprechauns. Along with the parade there are several parties (both public and private) that parade goers can attend. For some history on the celebration head over to the Historic District and enjoy an afternoon of sightseeing.