The Best Cities Worldwide to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
It's almost that magical time of year again, when bars buy wholesale jugs of green food dye to doctor their beer, when green top hats and green-rimmed glasses replace the standard work attire and when parades of green floats snake their way through cities across the globe.
St. Patrick's Day may have begun in earnest as a solemn celebration of Ireland's patron saint, but nowadays it's an excuse for communal revelry. It's a chance to don your greenest apparel and take to the streets to celebrate Irish culture and community.
This St. Patrick's Day, consider taking a trip abroad - check out these vacation deals you can book right now and get inspired to celebrate abroad. For a little added inspiration, here are six cities that do St. Patrick's Day right!
Dublin
File this entry under "no brainer". Dublin, the largest city in the Emerald Isle and capital of the Republic of Ireland, knows a thing or two about hosting a St. Patrick's Day celebration. But whereas much of North America celebrates with pub-crawls and kitschy green trinkets, Dubliners use the special day as more of a straightforward celebration of Irish culture. The city hosts festivals, live music, outdoor activities and a parade. Sure, you'll still find drunken revelers in top hats, but they're mostly tourists.
New York
While Dublin remains the spiritual epicenter of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, New York takes the crown as the world's biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration. With roughly 150,000 marchers and over 2 million spectators, the parade alone is massive. Add to that the number of revelers populating the city's many pubs and restaurants, and you've got yourself a certifiable party.
Buenos Aires
Something you might not know is how far south in the Americas the Irish diaspora spreads. Argentina is home to over 500,000 Irish people, and, despite their far remove from the homeland, they come out to celebrate. The Fiesta de San Patricio, as it's called locally, is the largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in South America, an all-out street party, complete with costumes, music, dancing and lots of food and drink.
Sydney
When the Sydney Opera House changes its spotlights to green on March 17th, you know you're in for a good time! Starting at Hyde Park, and ending at one of the various Irish pubs around town, the parade is the day's main attraction. If you're looking to raise a glass of Guinness to the patron saint, here's Time's Out's list of the best Irish pubs in Sydney.
Honorable mentions for the finest St. Paddy's Day celebrations go to Boston, Chicago, Saint John's, London, Amsterdam and Tokyo, all of which hold big, boisterous March 17th parties in honour of the patron saint of Ireland.
If you want to see firsthand how the world celebrates Irish culture, visit Travelzoo to check out their last minute deals. Whether you want to celebrate in Ireland, or way over in Australia, they'll have perfectly priced deals to get you there.
