US States to Visit for an Alternative St Patrick's Day Celebration

Since 1762, New York City has put its greenest face forward for St Patrick’s Day. The city’s annual holiday parade is the world’s largest – with 150,000 people participating and around two million bystanders lining the route along Fifth Avenue. Volunteers run the parade, which features bagpipers, Irish step dancers, police officers and firefighters, school bands and more. After the parade finishes, the party continues in one of the many Irish pubs in the city that never sleeps.
Must visit Irish pub: McSorley’s Old Ale House is the oldest Irish pub in the city and famously home to two types of beer: light and dark house ale.

Irish connections with Chicago run deep and the city’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations are not just about the party itself, but celebrating Chicago’s heritage and history. Since 1962, the dyeing of the Chicago River has become one of the city’s most treasured traditions and travelers can experience the emerald green waters from a river cruise – the best seat in the house. After a morning on the water, visitors can attend the St Patrick’s Day parade that typically evolves into lively street parties in the areas surrounding Grant Park and Division Street.
Must visit Irish pub: Galway Arms boasts traditional Celtic cuisine, Irish hospitality and the best draft beer list in Lincoln Square.

Since 1824, the Southern coastal city of Savannah has paid homage to St Patrick with weeks of festivities culminating in a parade on March 17. As the home to a number of Irish neighborhoods, Savannah boasts the largest annual celebration in the South, with hundreds of thousands of people converging in the town’s grassy squares, as the city’s Forsyth Park fountain flows green. After the parade, the party continues into the early hours of the morning in Savannah’s many Irish pubs where travelers can dance the night away – a true Irish tradition.
Must visit Irish pub: O’Connell’s Irish Pub is an authentic Irish pub in the heart of historic Savannah offering a relaxed atmosphere and the best pour of Guinness in the city.

Each year, more than 100,000 people attend the San Francisco St Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade. Taking place the weekend before the holiday, the two-hour parade begins at 2nd and Market Street and travels down to the Civic Centre Plaza where the annual festival takes place. During the festival, travelers can expect live music, traditional Irish grub and an ample supply of beer – and the option to carry on the celebrations by joining the St Patrick’s Day PubCrawl along Union Street to end the night, Irish style.
Must visit Irish pub: The Irish Bank is known as the soul of Ireland in the heart of downtown San Francisco and hosts an annual St Patrick’s Day block party, featuring traditional Irish music and Celtic rock.

Boston’s Irish heritage and pride run deep with nearly a quarter of all Boston residents claiming Irish ancestry. Holiday celebrations often begin weeks before the official holiday and include Irish band concerts, an Irish film festival and celebrations at Irish bars and local breweries. The annual St Patrick’s Day parade takes place in South Boston with up to one million people lining the route to watch floats, marching bands and bagpipe bands from both Ireland and the United States.
Must visit Irish pub: Black Rose, where Irish flags adorn the walls and travelers are likely to stumble onto a rowdy sing-a-long with live music.

New Orleans comes to life with a week-and-a-half of festivities and fun including three parades and two legendary block parties. One of the best places to be for St Patrick’s Day is Parasol’s Bar in the Irish Channel, a neighborhood originally named for its heavy concentration of Irish families. Located near the Garden District and just 10 minutes from the French Quarter and Downtown New Orleans, travelers can expect non-stop singing and dancing and an endless supply of green beer.
Must visit Irish pub: Erin Rose is located in the French Quarter and specializes in cocktails, traditional Irish grub and memorabilia galore.

Organized by the Visit San Antonio River Walk and the Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas, the St Patrick’s Day River Parade has been running since 1969 and features a procession of 12 larger-than-life Irish-themed decorated floats, with musicians, dancers and entertainers on board to rally the crowd. Kicking off the festival is the dyeing of the River Walk when the San Antonio River is transformed into the River Shannon by 25-gallons of eco-friendly green dye.
Must visit Irish pub: Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub for traditional grub, import drafts, piano entertainment and plenty of opportunities for sing-alongs in the festive atmosphere.