Planning travel around March 17? Check out these locations across the globe that put on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations like no other
St. Patrick’s Day originated in–you guessed it–-Ireland. The Emerald Isle celebrates every year on March 17 to recognize the Christian Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has often taken on a new meaning as time has passed, serving to celebrate Irish heritage in general, with different cities around the world recognizing their Irish populations and bringing others in on the fun. Cities around the world have created their own St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and traditions like parades and festivals, drinking Guinness, pinching people if they don’t wear green on the holiday, decorating with lucky shamrocks and more.
Thinking of planning a trip for your group around St. Patrick’s Day? Keep reading to see what cities might be for you.
Dublin, Ireland
If you want the most authentic version of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, take your group and head to the capital of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin. The city hosts a four-day St. Patrick’s Day festival, including one of the best parades in the world for the holiday. Over half a million people currently attend the parade at the famed St. Patrick’s Festival, located in the Festival Quarter of the city from Parnell Square all the way to the intersection of Kevin Street and Cuffe Street. The festival is themed every year, with themes like Spréach (Spark), a culmination of Irish humor, joy and wonder that you just can’t find anywhere else this time of year. Feel free to find a space standing along the sides of the parade, but it is highly recommended to get there very early or reserve a seated view to secure a good spot. Make sure to stay later on after the parade ends for the Greening of the City, where a handful of Dublin’s most popular buildings are lit up with green lights and decorations. Visit Dublin for great music, Irish dancing, whiskey and beer, photography exhibitions, parties, colorful parade floats and more.
London, U.K.
Although a fully separate entity from Ireland itself, the U.K.’s close proximity to the country makes for a lot of Irish immigrants and visitors. London is one international city that hosts a variety of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for those coming from around the world, including the annual parade on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day that starts at Hyde Park Corner, right downtown. The parade is a little over a mile and a half long, featuring colorful floats, marching bands, candy and kid-friendly activities. If you’re more into pubs, live music, the arts and the like, head to Trafalgar Square for the more adult-friendly, daytime entertainment festival. At the end of your night, if you have a chance to swing around to the famous London Eye, you’ll see that it is lit up with shamrock-green lights for the city to see.
Montreal, Canada
Montreal, while notably known for its French heritage, is also home to one of the longest-running Irish festivals in North America as a whole. The first festival was held in 1824, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The parade, often held on the day of St. Patrick’s Day, includes traditional parade floats, bagpipes, dancers, marching bands, a towering St. Patrick float and lots of green. Almost everyone dresses in green or St. Paddy’s attire, showing their spirit for the holiday and Irish culture. The main St. Patrick’s Day parade is often held in the downtown central area of Montreal, starting on Sainte-Catherine Street in the late morning or early afternoon. For a little later in the day (or early, if that’s your choice!) there are plenty of pubs on Bishop Street, Crescent Street and Peel Street that will hold you over until the festivities end later on in the night.
Chicago, U.S.
The Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day
Chicago, home to many Irish immigrants and those of Irish descent, holds three separate parades for those looking to celebrate the secular version of St. Patrick’s Day that we know so well today. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is located in the heart of the city’s downtown, right around the river. The city dyes the river green with over 40 pounds of (environmentally-friendly) green dye to kick things off before the nearly three hour parade. Legend has it, leprechauns take part in helping to get this done. This is always done the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day in the city. Make sure to get there early to secure a standing spot between State Street and Columbus Drive or up above on Upper Wacker Drive or one of the bridges to get the best views of the river dyeing and parade festivities. Feel free to bring your own folding chairs!
The South Side of the city as well as the Northwest Side hold their parades on the actual day of St. Patrick’s Day, putting more of a focus on celebrating Irish heritage and the people of Chicago. There are also plenty of bar crawls and pubs in neighborhoods like River North and Wrigleyville to enjoy green beer, corned beef, cabbage and other St. Patrick’s Day staples. Plan ahead and do your research for these, though, as tickets can go fast.
Montserrat, Caribbean
Montserrat, also known as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,” due to its resemblance to the lush, green Irish coastlines, is one of only two locations outside of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a national holiday (the other being the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador). While Montserrat’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are just as big as the ones outside of the Caribbean and around the world, the island holds a special meaning within their festivities as they also use the holiday to recognize an attempted slave rebellion against European colonizers. Montserrat holds a 10-day long festival, blending Caribbean, African and Irish traditions to create a colorful culmination of dancing, parades, concerts, organized races and, of course, leprechaun hats. There are often no nonstop flights from the U.S., so double check to see if you can fly into neighboring islands like Antigua or Barbados. St. Patrick’s Day is the best time of year to visit Montserrat, not only because of the rowdy parties and festivities, but because you’re avoiding the humidity and tropical storms found in later seasons.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
In Buenos Aires, the city’s locals host a heap of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that are rivaled around the world. The city, while not always recognized for its rich Irish ancestry, makes sure to throw fiestas that transform the whole city into a green haze. Argentina is home to the fifth largest Irish community in the world, making it only right to celebrate the largest Irish holiday known around the world. The Argentinian people celebrate by throwing a major parade and festival as part of El Día de San Patricio. The parade is followed by food and beer stands, live music and dance performances and pub celebrations that carry on well into the next morning. The event places a large emphasis on music, dancing, drinking and eating as a way to celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Not only do you not have to be of Irish heritage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Buenos Aires, but it is encouraged to bring outsiders in to join the party on this day.
Tokyo, Japan
Moving even further from the original Emerald Isle, Tokyo, Japan has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in all of Asia. The Irish Network Japan and the Embassy of Ireland partnered at one point to introduce more common heritage to the Japanese people, and thus, St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Japan were born. The “I Love Ireland Festival” occurs around St. Patrick’s Day in Yoyogi Park, celebrating the introduction of Irish heritage into Japan for two full days, with a parade on the second day. The parade has been going on for almost 30 years now, painting the streets of Tokyo with costumes, the color green, food, drinks and more, all just minutes from Harajuku Station.
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By Taylor Anderson–Chicago, Ill.
