Tomorrow, of course, marks the annual day where people of all different backgrounds come together and pretend to be Irish for a day. Yes, Saint Patrick’s Day is on of the most fun holidays around. It’s a great excuse to loosen your tie, let your hair down and maybe even (responsibly) indulge in a pint or two of some green beer. But if you’re looking to really get in on the celebrations, or want to make plans for next year, check out some of the best cities to celebrate St. Paddy’s in style.
Dublin
We’ll start with an obvious one, because you just know the Irish do St. Paddy’s right. Even though the holiday as we know it today didn’t really originate in Ireland (nor is Saint Patrick actually Irish), Dublin has embraced the rest of the world’s take on the day and showed them how it’s done right. What makes these celebrations so special is that they are treated more as a festival and lasts five days. There are parades, street performers, boat races, and so much live music. It’s the closes you can get to having a real authentic Irish experience on the day, and with the Irish Beer & Whiskey Festival happening at the same time, you certainly won’t be thirsty.
Chicago
Chicago holds one of the largest Irish population in America and they all take their heritage very seriously. At least on this day they do. Yes, Chicago is mostly known as the city that annually turns their river green for the festivities (which is a pretty cool sight to see if you haven’t already), but that’s just where the celebrations start. There is also a full parade with dancers and performers, as well as a healthy number of Irish drinking holes around the town if you’re incline to escape the wind for awhile.
Buenos Aires
This might seem like a bit of a surprise to see on this list. Perhaps even more surprising is that Buenos Aires has one of the largest Irish communities in the world. So it only makes sense that this is the largest St. Paddy’s celebration in South America. Reportedly the festivities take over a 10 block area of the city and fill it with partiers, bands and performers. The perfect opportunity to experience the holiday in a more forgiving climate.
Montreal
Yes, Canada represent the green holiday quite well. And while Montreal is a predominately French city, they rarely need much encouragement at all to throw a party. The most fun-loving of Canadian cities embraces the Irish ways for their annual celebrations and they are as dedicated to having a good time as anywhere else you’re likely to find in the world. As Canadians know all too well, mid-March is in now way a guarantee for good weather. And yet, in the history of Montreal St. Paddy’s Parade, it has never been cancelled. Come rain, wind, snow or blizzard, Montreal is ready to bust out an old Irish jig at a moments notice.
New York
Well, of course New York makes the list. There isn’t a holiday that they don’t do as big as possible. And as if to prove that point, their Saint Paddy’s parade is the biggest in the world. However, it still manages to be relatively quaint as compared to something like the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. That’s because there are no cars or floats allowed in the parade and is instead filled with bagpipers, dancers and musicians. It’s a six-hour long parade so there’s plenty to see while you stop in at a local pub.