New Orleans
Though another late-winter cultural celebration grabs most of the headlines in New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana, the Big Easy throws a big celebration for St. Patrick’s Day, too. Just like Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day in New Orleans consists of numerous parades, along with block parties and tons of live music.
History: A deeply Catholic city, New Orleans has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day since 1809. Events began to ramp up as Irish workers flocked to the area to build the New Basin Canal during the 1830s.
Parade: Groups have several parades to choose from on St. Patrick’s Day. The main parade on Magazine Street and St. Charles Avenue features floats and Mardi Gras-style throws of green beads and doubloons. The Irish Channel, a traditionally Irish neighborhood, throws its own parade, with men dressed in tuxedos throwing cabbage.
Other Festivities: Parasol’s Bar in the Irish Channel throws one of the city’s biggest block parties after the parade ends, with plenty of green beer and local flavor.
www.stpatricksdayneworleans.com
Dublin, Ohio
What could be better than celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin? Perhaps celebrating in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus that has embraced its Irish namesake and created a memorable and manageable series of events to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day.
History: Dublin doesn’t have a particularly large Irish population, but it has been celebrating Irish heritage nonetheless since the 1980s.
Parade: With only 20,000 residents, Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade isn’t large, but it does feature a number of experiences. Many attendees start the day at a local pancake breakfast and then head out to the Inflation Celebration to watch giant balloons being blown up before the parade itself gets underway.
Other Festivities: Dublin continues to celebrate after the parade’s end with the Blarney Bash, a festival with live bands, beer, food trucks, crafts and other entertainment until 11 p.m.
www.visitdublinohio.com
