Thousands of Irish men and women emigrated to the United States over the years and many of them settled in places where other Irish had settled before them. These Irish communities often grew and the children and grandchildren of the immigrants now celebrate their Irish heritage in a big way. Some of the biggest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the U.S. include:
Boston, Massachusetts
With the largest Irish community in the Northeast, Boston features one of the largest holiday parades in the country, featuring Irish dancers, pipe musicians, marching bands, face painting, games, and Irish food. Of course, an Irish pub crawl is also a tradition. The Boston St. Patrick's Parade is Listed as the second largest parade of any sort in the country, being viewed by nearly 600,000 to one million people every year; in addition to having the entire parade seen on live television. This year, the parade will take place Sunday March 17 at 1 pm. The route is three miles long and takes almost 2 1/2 hours. More information may be found at http://www.southbostonparade.org/.New York, New York
The New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade is perhaps the most popular parade in the U.S. with an estimated 2 million visitors each year. It was organized by Irish soldiers in the British army in 1762 and has been going strong ever since. The parade starts at 44th Street at 11:00 am and and goes to 86th street. It usually is held on March 17th, except when that date falls on a Sunday, such as this year, when it is celebrated the day before due to religious observances. Although the parade organizers don't allow floats or exhibits, they do expect to have more than 150,000 marchers at this year's event on March 16. More information may be found at http://nycstpatricksparade.org/.Chicago, Illinois
Chicagoans will tell you that nothing compares to their St. Pat's celebration, which is held this year on March 16. The Chicago parade is the site of a "miracle" each year: the Chicago River turns green at 10:45 a.m. on the morning of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Of course, the "miracle" is man-made as hundreds of pounds of green dye are poured into the river. This year's parade starts at noon on March 16 and it features drummers, marching bands, and decorated floats. Details may be found at http://www.chicagostpatsparade.com/.Savannah, Georgia
Savannah has been celebrating St. Patrick's since 1813 and likes to do it big, with an attendance exceeding 400,000, helped by the fact it is nice and warm in March. The three-hour parade starts at 10:15 AM on March 16 and goes through the Historic Park District, where you'll find fountains that have been dyed green. Participants include a number of bands and U.S. military divisions. Of course, it is the American South so you will also find green grits at most Savannah restaurants that day. Another specialty is Guinness Beer Stout ice cream from Leopold's Ice Cream. You can find more information at http://www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com/.Dublin, Ohio
Do you think this city is Irish? With a name like Dublin, this Columbus, Ohio suburb celebrates its Irish heritage with a mile-long parade made up of approximately 100 floats, bands and bagpipers and, of course, the Grand Leprechaun. It starts at 11 AM on Saturday, March 16, starting at the Metro Center and winding its way through Historic Dublin. Details may be found at http://dublinohiousa.gov/events/st-patricks-day-parade/.Indeed, the March 16 and 17 weekend will be the time to celebrate Irish heritage, whether your ancestors were from Ireland or not!
