Whether you’re Irish or just looking to have a good time, Boston is the place to be on March 17th. Here is your guide on how to make the most out of this fun-loving holiday in the city. The only rule is: make sure to rock something green!
Events:
1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
This huge parade is a beloved Boston tradition that happens every year down in Southie, the Irish center of the city. The colorful floats and Irish drumlines and bands attract almost a million spectators every year. For the full parade route and any other details, click here. NOTE: The parade occurs on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day, which will be March 19th this year.
2. Dropkick Murphys:
No band screams Ireland or Boston more than the Dropkick Murphys, who sing the beloved Boston anthem “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” among many others. The Dropkick Murphys host a week of concerts every year around St. Patrick’s Day, and shows this year will be from March 15th to the 18th. Saturday’s show will be right here at Agganis Arena!
3. Irish Heritage Trail:
If you’re looking for a more relaxed way to celebrate, check out the Irish Heritage Trail. This scenic route takes you all throughout Boston, showing landmarks of Irish-American heroes dating back to the 1700’s. Since the tours are self-guided, you can see as much or as little as you want. For a complete list of sites, look here.
Food:
1. Lansdowne Pub:
This pub is located by Fenway Park, and is best known for its homemade Bangers and Mash. On most nights, Lansdowne has great live bands playing.
2. The Black Rose:
It doesn’t get better than Shepherd’s pie, and The Black Rose delivers. Located by Faneuil Hall, this place offers live Irish music every night of the week.
3. Crossroads Irish Pub:
Unsurprisingly, most of the best Irish food in Boston is located in our Irish Pubs. Crossroads is located in Back Bay and offers a mean Full Irish Breakfast, and then Sloppy Irish Joe’s for dinner.
4. J.J. Foley’s Cafe:
If you’re over 21, enjoy the Guinness and Irish ale. Otherwise, enjoy the fish and chips and Banoffi Pie for dessert. J.J. Foley’s is a Southie favorite, and has that family-owned Irish charm this city loves.
Nightlife:
1. Boston St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl (21+):
If you’re looking for a night of bar crawling and great deals at many of Boston’s best bars, get tickets for the official St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl through the city here.
2. McGreevey’s Pub (21+):
This sports pub on Boylston claims to host the best St. Patrick’s Day Party in Boston, but you can be the judge of that. As the home of the Dropkick Murphys, this place must know how to have a good time.
3. Allston:
If you aren’t looking to shell out a bunch of cash on St. Patrick’s Day but still want to have fun, Allston will definitely be crawling with other BU students looking to have a great night as well.