Most holidays are for kids. Christmas: kids. Easter: kids. 4th of July: mostly kids. Summer vacation: definitely for kids. But not St. Paddy’s. Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday made for adults. It’s when we get to let our hair down, dress up in green, and enjoy a night of debauchery out on the town.
Some destinations are better than others if you’re trying to make the most out of your St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans. For example, there’s probably not a lot going on in Bismarck, North Dakota (sorry, North Dakotans, but you know it’s true). Just like Bismarck isn’t going to have a whole lot of zany things to offer you this St. Paddy’s, there are plenty of places that will. Places like:
-
Savannah, GA - This quiet Southern town is probably one of the best places in the world to party on St. Paddy’s day. It’s full of folks mingling in the streets, drinking green beer, and generally living life to their fullest. Savannah is a beautiful coastal town, so even when you’re not in the pubs going wild, there are tons of other things to enjoy.
-
Chicago, IL - Chicago takes St. Paddy’s so seriously that it dyes its entire river green. That’s dedication. One of the United States’ largest cities, this town on the water is ready to unleash mayhem on this Irish holiday. There are tons of great bars, beautiful views, and interesting sights to see in this Midwestern city.
-
Boston, MA - Maybe the O.G. place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day due to its huge heritage as an Irish immigrant landing spot, this might be the most authentic place outside of Ireland to celebrate the green day. Irish pubs are everywhere, and they’re all ready to serve you up a pint on this wonderful day of imbibing. Just don’t say, “Top-o-the-morning!” to anyone. They don’t really like that.
-
New York, NY - New York is also famous for its Irish neighborhoods, which is why it makes the list. You know that any city of millions of people knows how to party, and New York definitely fits the bill. On St. Patrick’s Day, they have a parade, bar crawls, and tons of folks ready to mingle. If you want to bring some true authenticity to your trip, stop by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral--the place where it all started. I’m just kidding. That’s definitely not where St. Patrick’s Day started, but they do share the name!
- San Diego, CA - For some reason, St. Paddy’s seems to be an East Coast celebration, but San Diego doesn’t let the Atlantic have all of the fun. This city is warm year round, has gorgeous blue skies, and parties right for St. Paddy’s. Irish bands play all day and night, green beer flows like rivers, and the Gaslamp Quarter even goes all green for this most succulent of adult holidays. Radical.
So there you have it! Those are the best places in the USA to get your St. Paddy’s Day on. Full of green beer, festivities, hanging, and imbibing, any one of these places will give you a new appreciation for Irish tradition. Oh wait, they don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s day in Ireland?
Well then, uhm, who really needs an excuse to visit a cool place for a big party anyway?
