St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2024: What to expect across the US on March 17
Residents across the US are ready to celebrate and take part in a grand St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the world’s largest Irish heritage festivities.
The parade is set to be held on Sunday, March 17. The parade, believed to be the most popular of all the parades in New York City, honours Saint Patrick – the patron Saint of the Archdiocese of New York and Ireland.
In the early 17th century, Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church.
The parade hosts various marching bands, and high-school and college bands from across the globe. It also hosts bagpipers in marching formations.
List of places where you can expect the 10 most popular St. Patrick’s Day Parades across the US:
Chicago, Illinois
New York, New York
Boston, Massachusetts
Denver, Colorado
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Savannah, Georgia
Detroit, Michigan
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
San Francisco, California
New Orleans, Louisiana
What’s happening across the US?
Notably, New York City has several parades around its five boroughs on various dates. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade allows LGBTQ+ groups to march on Staten Island.
Chicago’s parade is also one of the biggest. Thousands of people decked in green gathered along the Chicago River, like every year, to witness a sight never to forget – local plumbers union boats painting the water green. An environmentally friendly powder, something that was used to check pipes for leaks, is used in the tradition.
In Oklahoma, hundreds of people gathered on the streets of Stockyard City for a parade including longhorn cattle, clowns and a man dressed as St. Patrick. Anita Swift was the grand marshal. She is notably the granddaughter of American film legend John Wayne.
Several revellers flocked together in San Francisco to watch bands, floats and buses in the city’s parades. Different cultural groups came together with food, dance and music.
