The Best St. Patrick’s Day Parades
Irish Parades for St. Patrick’s Day
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with GAYOT’s roundup of the Best St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivals across North America to find family-friendly ways to remember Ireland’s patron saint.
These annual events — many of them dating back two centuries or more — feature impressive floats, bagpipe players, Irish bands and, of course, plenty of beer. Take a look below to find out how cities from San Francisco to Boston (and the biggest St. Paddy’s parade in Canada) are honoring the luck and legacy of the Irish.
RELATED: GAYOT’s Guide to St. Patrick’s Day
The selections are presented in alphabetical order. of cities.
1. ATLANTA St. Patrick’s Parade – March 16, 2024
Peachtree St. (15th St.), Atlanta, GA
The city of Atlanta has long had a close relationship with all things Irish.
This parade has featured floats, bands of every kind, military units, Bagpipe & Drum Corps, Irish dancers, clowns, high tech firefighting equipment, police units, drill teams, dignitaries from Ireland and more. The Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade begins at noon at Peachtree Street near the High Museum of Art in Midtown.
> For more information, visit Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade official website.
2. BOSTON St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 17, 2024
Broadway, Boston, MA
Go green at the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Considering Boston has more Irish pubs than any other city in the United States, it should be no surprise that Beantown celebrated the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade ever back in 1737. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. from Broadway Station.
> For more information, visit Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
3. CHICAGO St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 16, 2024
E Balbo Ave. (S Columbus Dr.), Chicago, IL
Join the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago for a perfectly Irish celebration.
For the annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade, revelers meet at noon on the corner of Columbus and Balbo. Following a citywide search for “Chicago’s Fairest Colleen,” the winner of the St. Patrick’s Day Queen Contest will lead the parade riding in a horse-drawn carriage. As always, participants can watch the river turn an incredible shade of green. The best viewing is from the upper level bridges at Michigan Avenue or Columbus Drive.
> For more information, visit Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
4. CLEVELAND St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 17, 2024
Superior Ave. (E 18th St.), Cleveland, OH
Revel in festivities at the Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Bands, floats, drill teams, marching units and novelties have participated in Cleveland’s popular parade. Beginning on Superior Ave. at E. 18th St., this parade will end at the intersection of Rockwell Ave. and Ontario St. The action starts precisely at 1:04 p.m. so don’t miss it!
> For more information, visit Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
SUGGESTED READING: The Best Irish Beers
5. MONTRÉAL St. Patrick’s Parade – March 17, 2024
Rue du Fort (St. Catherine St.), Montréal, Canada
Celebrate this holiday at the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Canada.
The oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Canada, held since 1824, Montreal’s three-hour parade begins at noon with a giant replica of St. Patrick himself, which proceeds down St Catherine St. from Rue du Fort to Metcalfe St.
> For more information, visit Montréal St. Patrick’s Parade official website.
6. NYC Saint Patrick’s Day Parade – March 16, 2024
5th Ave. (44th St.), New York, NY
Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day at one of the world’s largest parades.
One of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the world, New York’s edition has been marching the streets since 1762. Marching up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th Streets, the parade kicks off at 11 a.m.
> For more information, visit NYC Saint Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
7. NEW ORLEANS St. Patrick’s Day Parades – Various dates from Feb. 24, 2024-April 6, 2024
New Orleans, LA
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day the Big Easy way.
Who wouldn’t want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans? Revel in the parades, block parties and live music, including Parasol’s Block Party Celebration, the Irish Channel Parade and Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade.
> For more information, visit New Orlean’s St. Patrick’s Day Parades official website.
8. PHILADELPHIA St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 10, 2024
Market St. (Front St.), Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade has existed for centuries.
With a history dating back to 1771, five years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence there, Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade holds hundreds of years of celebration honoring not only the man that became the namesake of this holiday, but also the roots back to the homeland. It is also one of the grandest parades in a city that loves parades.
> For more information, visit Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
9. SAN DIEGO St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival – March 16, 2024
Fifth Ave. (Laurel St.), San Diego, CA
Become Irish for a day at San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival.
The parade kicks off at 10:30 a.m. on the corner of 5th Avenue and Laurel Street, near Balboa Park, followed by a day of food, beer, music and activities for the whole clan at the Irish Festival.
> For more information, visit San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
10. SAN FRANCISCO Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration – March 16, 2024
2nd St. (Market St.), San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Celebration is the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade west of the Mississippi River.
San Francisco’s annual parade starts at 11:30 a.m. at 2nd and Market Streets and proceeds to City Hall along Market Street. On the following day, March 13th, there will be a block party at 45th Avenue and Sloat. These events are presented by the United Irish Societies of San Francisco.
> For more information, visit San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
11. SAVANNAH Saint Patrick’s Day Parade – March 16, 2024
Abercorn St. (E Gwinnett St.), Savannah, GA
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at one of the country’s oldest and largest parades.
This southern city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade may not be the oldest, but it is one of the largest — boasting some 400,000 spectators in previous years — and perhaps the grandest. Held in either rain or shine, the parade begins at 10:15 a.m. sharp.
> For more information, visit Savannah Saint Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
12. ST. LOUIS St. Patrick’s Day Parade – March 16, 2024
20th & Market Sts., St. Louis, MO
Ring in this Irish holiday at the St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade of St Louis has attracted over 250,000 spectators in the past. At noon, there will be marching bands, clowns, character balloons and more. A five-mile run also commences at 9 a.m. and travels through the streets of downtown and midtown.
> For more information, visit St. Louis Saint Patrick’s Day Parade official website.
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