Put on your finest green, sample the tastiest beer, and travel the world for St Patrick’s Day in 2025. The Irish holiday is the perfect excuse for planning an exciting getaway. Where will you celebrate on Monday, March 17? Learn about our top travel destination picks, search events in your favorite city, and discover how the worldwide holiday celebrations stack up.
Dublin, Ireland
How can you say no to Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day? Ireland’s capital city comes alive with five days of fun. Street performers fill the air with music, and pubs are packed to capacity, serving beer, whiskey, and Celtic-style bar food. Those attending the St. Patrick’s Festival shouldn’t miss the famous Festival Parade featuring Ireland’s best performers, musicians, dancers, marching bands, and even a scavenger hunt on the 15th. The big parade on the 17th begins at Parnell Square and winds through Dublin before wrapping up at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for one of the year’s biggest parties.
Chicago, Illinois
The luck of the Irish is strong in the Midwest’s largest city. Chicago throws a rowdy citywide party for St. Patrick’s Day, turning the river green with vegetable dye. The green only lasts about five hours – so party accordingly. The annual parade draws over a million people with floats, bagpipe players, and performers traveling north on Columbus (between Balbo and Monroe). Smaller parades happen in Norwood Park and in Beverly’s strong Irish community, where residents decorate their homes green. Shamrock The Block is a weekend block party with drinks and food in front of Old St. Pat’s near the West Loop.
Savannah, Georgia
This might surprise you, but Savannah throws one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States, with a city-wide, three-day festival and parade. If that’s not enough, the water in Savannah’s famous park fountains turns green for the occasion. The small port city is loaded with southern charm, weeping willow trees, town squares, and beautifully preserved architecture in the historic district near the river. Fun fact: like Las Vegas and New Orleans, Savannah is one of the few American cities that allows outdoor public drinking.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The capital of Argentina is home to the largest Irish community in South America. Each year, the St. Patrick’s Day festival and parade draw revelers for ten blocks along Reconquista Street. Dress your best and earn a prize in the annual leprechaun costume contest. Visiting for St. Patrick’s Day is a great excuse to plan a trip to Buenos Aires, but don’t forget to appreciate the city’s unique mix of Latin American culture and cosmopolitan style. And be sure to experience the historic buildings sitting along the mouth of the Rio de la Plata which opens up to the Atlantic Ocean.
New York City, New York
No other city throws a parade quite like New York. The Big Apple’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is a massive gathering, lasting nearly six hours (between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) with 100,000 participants (including dancers and bagpipe performers) but no floats or cars. More than two million New Yorkers gather for a St Patrick’s Day celebration larger (and older) than the one in Dublin. The Irish Catholic community begins the day with High Holy Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the most in-demand tickets in town.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston’s large Irish population goes all-in for St. Patrick’s Day, with various celebrations, including the famous South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 16, 2025. The annual parade takes place in the afternoon and makes its spectacular route through Boston’s south end. The fun continues with bar crawls and specials all night long. St. Patrick’s Day officially gets underway early in the morning with a traditional breakfast and roast among politicians from around Massachusetts.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco has a strong Irish-American community, so it’s no surprise that St. Patrick’s Day will be a big hit this year. One of the biggest draws is the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, where officials, local Irish dance companies, and bands march down Market Street toward the Civic Center Plaza. A slew of bars and restaurants serve traditional Irish cuisine, beers, and whiskies. If that’s not enough, don’t miss the several pub crawl parties that keep the party going all night long.
Rome, Italy
Who wouldn’t want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Villa Spada, and Trajan’s Column transform into vibrantly green colors? Welcome to Italy, where St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with traditional Irish fare, Irish pubs and bars, and trad sessions that will play Irish tunes. But first, the Pontifical Irish College will hold a Mass session at St Isidore’s Church, signaling the start of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Various bars and cafés may also offer green beer, like Delirium Cafè within the Trastevere neighborhood.
Montserrat, Caribbean
Fun fact: there are only two countries where St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday: Ireland and Montserrat. Montserrat’s Irish heritage began in the 17th century when Irish Catholics sought refuge in the Caribbean. To this day, Irish culture holds steadfast in this part of the Caribbean, where the week-long St. Patrick’s Day Festival features Irish Food, Caribbean entertainment, a junior calypso competition, a freedom run, and masquerade dancers. It’s the perfect place for those longing for a tropical getaway while staying true to their Irish roots.
